ENGLISH SEASON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22592, 3 December 1936, Page 9

ENGLISH SEASON

REVIEW OF RACING

STAYERS AND SPRINTERS

MERITS OF PRECIPITATION

])Y SPEARMINT

The English flat-racing season closed on November 26 with the Manchester November Handicap, and reopens with the Lincolnshire on March 17. it is more convenient to review the two-year-old form alter the appearanco of the Free Handicap, which will not be available hero for some weeks. In the meantime, the performances of the older horses provide subject-matter of sufficient interest. Three-year-old form has been more complicated than for many years past, which means that there has been no outstanding individual. With the exception of tlio One Thousand Guineas, which was won decisively by Lord Derby's Tideway, it is possible that none of the classics was won by the best horse of the year. Lord Astor's Pay Up secured the Two Thousand Guineas from Makrnoud by a short head, and it is possible that the latter was a trifle unlucky, and he is certainly a very good horse at this distance. In the Derby Mahmoud had his revenge on Pay Up, who could not do his best in the hard going, and was beaten into fourth place. More important, the going induced slight soreness in Pay Up's stable-companion, Rhodes Scholar, a few days before the race, and he had to bo withdrawn. Three weeks later, Rhodes Scholar defeated Mahmoud with the greatest of ease in the St. James' Palace Stakes, ono mile, at Ascot, and went on to win the Eclipse Stakes from His Grace and Fairey with ridiculous ease. It .seems fairly certain that Rhodes Scholar would have won the Derby had ho started. He is a son of Pharos and the St. Leger winner Booklaw, and his siro has been one of the leading stallions in Franco for the last three years. Mahmoud, who is by the Derby winner Blenheim, was the Aga Chan's only important winner, if we except Taj Akbar, who won the Chester Vase and Newmarket Prince of Wales' Stakes. No Outstanding Filly Rhodes Scholar failed for lack of stamina in the St. Leger, which was ■won by Mr. W. Woodward's Boswell, who is by the Ascot Gold Cup winner Bosworth, and is bred to stay. A much-fancied candidate was Precipitation, who is also trained by Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, the trainor of Boswell. Unfortunately, a few days before the race, Precipitation fell a victim to an epidemic of heel-bug, which has been very bad at Newmarket this year, and ho could not run. Three weeks later Precipitation started in the valuable Newmarket Jockey Club Stakes, run over the St. Leger distance, and beat Boswell decisively by two lengths. It would, therefore, appear that the best colt of the year did not start in any of the three classics, which happened in the case of St. Simon, Peter, Cyllene, Blandford and a number of others.

Precipitation is a grand-looking son of Hurry On and the Cambridgeshire winner Doublo Life, and competent judges say that he has only to train on to be a certainty for the Ascot Gold Cup next year. Form among the three-year-old fillies was not high-class. Tideway failed to stay in the Oaks, and was also beaten in the Ascot Coronation Stakes, which was won by Lord Astor's Traffic Light, a daughter of Solario. The Oaks was won in a decidedly flukey manner bv Sir Abo Bailey's Lovely Rosa, but nobody grudged her owner bis first classic win. Second in the Oaks was Barrowb.v Gem, a daughter of Hurstwood, who is bred to stay. Barrowby Gem subsequently won the Great Yorkshire Handicap, ovor the St. Lege! course, and the Newmarket Oaks, 11 miles. In the latter race Traffic Light was second and Lovely Rosa unplaced. As Traffic Light was giving the winner 91b. and was only beaten by a head, she can bo looked upon as the best filly of the year. A Consistent Stayer Among the older horses, pride of place must be given to Quashed, who dead-heated for first in the Great Metropolitan Handicap with 9.4, and won the Chester Ormonde Stakes and Ascot Gold Cup. In the latter she defeated the American candidate, Omaha, by a short head. In the Goodwood Cup Quashed was beaten into third place by Cecil and Enfield, but she had probably trained off. Quashed, who is by Obliterate, son of Tracery, from Verdict, is probably the best staying mare of recent years. One of the most consistent stayers was Cecil, owned by Sir Abo Bailey, who has had his most successful year to date Cecil was second in the Ormonde Stakes and Coronation Cup. ancl won the Queen Alexandra Stakes and Goodwood Cup. He ran unplaced in the Doncaster Cup, but was ing from heel-bug. Cecil is by Foxlaw from Star of Blyth, by Polynielus from Star of Naples, a sister to the granddam of Hunting Song. The Doncaster Cup was won by Bucklcigh, owned by Lord Glancly, whose luck has been completely out since Colombo won the Two Thousand Guineas. Bucklcigh is a son of tho Derby winner Sansovmo.

A high-class winner who failed to train on was Lord Derby's PI assy, a son of Bosworth, and who won the Coronation Cup at Epsom. He has been retired to his owner's stud in Franco. Another good horse who goes to the stud is Wychwood Abbot, winner oi the Cambridgeshire of 1934, who is described as a magnificent specimen of the thoroughbred. Ho started only twice, winning the Newmarket Ellosmere Stakes and finishing with a triumphant victory in the Champion Stakes, which he won for the second year in succession. Wychwood Abbot is hy The Black Abbot, a son of Abbot's Luce, sire of Marconignun. Brilliant Bellacose

Coup do Hoi, by Winalot from Sky Royal, won the Northumberland Plate and Newbury Autumn Cup, and is a good stayer. The Cesarewitch was won by Fet, an ex-selling plater, and a grey son of Son-in-law and Valda by Stefan the Great, tracing to the dam of Steppe. Fet was bought a few weeks before tho race by Mr. Sidney Freeman, a bookmaker, for 1000 guineas and certain contingencies. Of the middle distance handicaps, the Lincolnshire was won by Over Coat, by Apron, a son of Son-in-law, and the Cambridgeshire by the favourite, Dan Bulger, owned by Sir Abe Bailey. Nine out of the last ten contests for this race have been won by three-year-olds, and Dan Bulger is of this age. Ho is by Bulger, son of Bridge of Earn. Tho champion sprinter Bellacose finished up his career in a blaze of glory by running away with the Newmarket July Cup with 10.8, and the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Bellacose was bought very cheaply at the end of his two-year-old career, and is by tho very good sprinter Sir Cosmo, a son of The Boss, also a very fast horse. He has now been retired to the stud. Very rapid has-been the rise to fame of the Irish-bred filly Solerina, who won the Goodwood Stewards' Cup and Newmarket Challenge Stakes. Solerina is by Soldennis, and is not eligible for the Stud Book. Tho Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot was won by the useful Guinea Gap, by Bachelor's Double, and the Doncaster Portland .Stakes was won for the second year in succession by Shalfleet. He carried 9.2, and is by the great sprinter Diomedes, who won the same race in 1925.