THE ENGLISH CLASSICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 9

THE ENGLISH CLASSICS

FRENCH-BRED WINNERS SOME GREAT PERFORMERS THIS WEEK'S PROSPECTS BY SPEARMINT The first two of tho groat English classics conic up for decision this week and English breeders are not a little perturbed by the prospect of one, or perhaps both, of these important events going to horses bred in France. Ever since the days of the groat Gladiateur representatives from across the Channel have made periodic attempts to carry off tho classic races, but till recently only with moderate success. ]n tho last few years tho competition has grown keener, and sinco 1931 five of the classics have been won outright by French-bred horses. This week tho invaders arc expected to provide the favourite in their respective races, and their claims to notice are therefore too pressing to bo ignored. Abjor, one of tho most favoured candidates for the Two Thousand Guineas, was bred by his owner. M. Marcel Boussac, who supplied the second in the same raco with Abjer's halfbrother, Goyescas, in 1931. Goyescas later on won the Champion Stakes and Hardwicke Stakes, but shortly afterwards broke a log in Franco and had to be destroyed. Abjer is by Asterus, a son of Teddy, from Zariba, by Sardanapalo, and, although ho is almost entirely French-bred for three removes, his sire and darn both go backto the English taproot Maid of Masham, of the No. 9 family. Asterus was raced in England by M. Boussac and won the Champion Stakes and Royal Hunt Cup in 1927. Mistress Ford, who is expected to make a great bid for the Ono Thousand Guineas, was the most brilliant two-year-old in France last season. She started in six races over distances ranging from five furlongs to ono milo and won them all. She met all tho best of her year and beat them with the greatest of ease, and is hailed as tho best filly seen in France for a generation. The Great Gladiateur Mistress Ford was bred by her owner, Mr. Edward Esmond and is trained by F. Carter at Chantilly. She is a bay filly by Blandford from Tolly Flinders 11., by Teddy from Polloia, who was bred in England and sent to France in 1909. Polloia is by Polymelus from Don's Birthday, by Donovan. As Teddy is by Ajax, a son of tho Englishbred Flying Fox, from a daughter of Bay lionald, tho pedigree is almost entirely English, although Mistress Ford was bred in France. The first French owner to achieve any notable success on the • English turf was the Com to Lagrange, who was the son of one of Napoleon's generals and a brilliant Parisian man of fashion. His colt Dangu ran fourth in Tliormanbv's Derby, and four years later ho won the Oaks with Fillo do l'Air. It was, however, in the following season (1865) that he scored his memorable triumph with Gladiateur, one of tho greatest horses who ever appeared on the English turf. Gladiateur was nioro or less iaine throughout his whole career, and won the Two Thousand Guineas on the briefest of preparations. He won the Derby very easily amid tremendous enthusiasm, and his owner was jocularly styled " the avenger of Waterloo." Immediately afterwards ho was sent to France and won the Grand Prix, and on his return to England scored twice at Goodwood. Proceeding to Doncastor, Gladiateur won the St. Leger and made history as the only horse who has ever won "the triple crown" and Grand Prix. Next year, when very infirm and hardly fit to gallop, ho won the Ascot Gold Cup, making good horses like Breadalbane and Regalia look like the commonest of hacks. Of his superlative greatness there is no shadow of doubt. Moderate Derby Winner In 1876 the Comte Lagrange won the Ono Thousand Guineas with Camelia, who also dead-heated with another French filly, Enguerrande, in the Oaks. The next year his colt Chamant won the Two Thousand Guineas, and two years later he won the St. Leger with Rayon d'Or. Those three horses were all out of Araucaria, a half-sister to Stockwcll, and Chamant was a brother to Apremont, who was imported to New Zealand and became a very successful sire at the Middlo Park Stud in Canterbury. In 1872 tho Oaks was won by M. Lefevre's Reine, a daughter of Fillo de l'Air, who had won' tho same race eight years before. It is now necessary to go forward 35 years from Rayon d'Or's St. Leger to tho next French victory in tho classics. This was in 1914, when the French-bred Durbar 11,, owned by the American sportsman Mr. H. Duryea won the Derby. Durbar 11. was by Rabelais, a son of St. Simon, domiciled in Franco, from an Americanbred marc, so his victory hiul an international flavour. The horses that Durbar 11. beat were of mediocre class and ho is generally looked upon as one of the most moderate of Derby winners. Rival of Flying Fox There was, however, a real danger to British supremacy in 1899, when a tragic accident happened, the consequences of which are difficult to estimate. The Duke of Westminster's Flying Fox had easily won the Two Thousand Guineas and was a hot favourite for the Derby. The only other horse at all supported was Holocaust, a grey French-bred colt owned by M. i do Bremond. Mornington Cannon was on Flying Fox and Holocaust was ridden by tho great American jockey Tod Sloan. After Tattenliam Corner tho race was obviously a match between the two, but, whereas Cannon was uneasy on tho favourite, Sloan had not moved on his mount. In another stride Holocaust fell and broke his leg, leaving the raco at the mercy of Flying Fox. Crowds of voluble, gesticulating Frenchmen had come over to witness the raco and many had tears streaming down their faces as tho remains of their hero were brought back to tho paddock. Sloan always declared that he had tho raco won when tho accident occurred, a view that iv. borne out by tho Hon. Geo. Lambton in his book, " Men and Horses 1 have Known."

In tho last five years French-bred horses have put up a formidable record in the classics. In 1931 tho filly Brulette, owned by Lt.-Col. C. W. Birkin, scored a brilliant victory in tho Oaks, and Goyescas finished second to Caineronian in the Two Thousand Guineas. In 1932 M. E. do St. Alary's Kandy won the One Thousand Guineas, and tho Aga Khan's Udaipur, Frenchbred on her dam's side, won tho Oaks. In 1933 tljo Two Thousand Guineas was won by tho Princesse do FaucignyLucingo's Rodosto, a son of Epinard, who won a Stewards' Cup at Goodwood for M. Pierro Werthoimer, and last year the latter's filly Mesa won tho One Thousand Guineas and was accounted unlucky to bo beaten in tho Oaks. The French contenders for this year's classics aro, therefore, not to bo taken lightly." TROTTING FIXTURES April 30, May 2—Forbury Park Trotting Club. May 2—Cambridge Trotting Club. May 7—Marlborough Trotting Club. May 9—Onmnru Trolling Club. May 9—Waikato Trotting Club. May 16, IS—Nelson Trotting Club. May 30—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. June 13—Ashburton Trotting Club. June 20, 23 or 24 —Auckland Trotting Club.