THE OAKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22622, 13 July 1935, Page 19

THE OAKS

FILLIES’ EPSOM CLASSIC A SURPRISE VICTORY (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON’, June 15.

An outsider won The Oaks, one of the most important of classic races for fillies. Her owner thereby beat his own father. The horse was a filly called Quashed; her owner (or lessee) was Lord Stanley. The disappointed man w r as Lord Derby, whose filly, Coronal, finished only fifth. The French-bred filly, Mesa, owned by Mons. P. Wertheimer, was the favourite,

hut she came in only third, with the Blandford filly, Ankarct, second. There were 17 runners.

Lord Derby’s Bobsleigh went wrong and had to be scratched from the earlier Besom classic event, and everyone expected that he would find consolation by winning The Oaks. The stable hopes were centred round Coronal and not round Quashed. The Oaks proved to be Lord Stanley's first classic win. First to congratulate him was hia father. After the race Lord Stanley said; “ I cannot help viewing the result with mixed feelings, as I have beaten my father’s better-fancied filly. However, we had a mutual agreement, my 'father and I, that we would be equally delighted if either of us won.”

Quashed has never showed such form as she proved to possess, either in public or at home. This horse was bred by Lady Barbara Smith, to whom her dam, that very great mare Verdict, was bequeathed by her father, Lord Coventry; the sire was Obliterate, who was a good hor§e in his day, and was possessed of stamina.

Mesa (Kirkcubbin —Mackwiller) had won the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, and had since remained in England under the care of Mr F. Hartigau, at Weyhill. She is a plajn filly, but possesses many good points, arid she looked very well. But the contest proved full of drama, as “Hotspur" (Daily Telegraph) writes:— If the fates ignored Lord Derby to give the race to hia son, they made Mons. Pierre Wertheimer, the owner of Mesa, their sport. His filly never found an opening until she was leas than a furlong from the winning post. She must have been 10 lengths behind the leader then, but she made up nine lengths of that, and had there been another 100 yards to go she would have won. If things had gone her way through the race I have no doubt that she would have won easily. PROBLEM FOR THE STEWARDS. Nothing went kindly for Mesa. Before the race the point had to be decided whether W. R. Johnstone could ride her. He was suspended for seven days by the stewards at Longchamp, and the question whether he was eligible to ride was one for which there was no precedent. ■ M. Evremonde de St. Alary, a member of the French Jockey Club and an honorary member of our Jockey Club, was at Epsom, and he explained that when a jockey is suspended in France for a minor offence he is eligible to ride during the period of his suspension for the owner who retains his services. This simplified matters for M. Wertheimer, the owner of Mesa, has first claim on Johnstone. It was then decided that he was eligible to ride the filly in the Oaks. A GOOD START.

Coronal had made great improvement since she ran at Newmarket and was a good second favourite. Of the others, the eye only lingered over the Irish filly, Solerina, a delightful individual, who ran an exceptionally good race for upwards of a mile, and finished fourth, alongside Coronal.

It was a good start, and Light Tackle went off in front, leading Sunkiss and Foxlair. Quashed, who had been slightly amiss, was slowly off, and when they were passing the City and Suburban post she was last of all. Indeed, so bady was she going that she looked like tailing herself off. It says much for her courage and stamina that she was able to come through her field and gain a highly meritorious victory. At the top of the hill there was a good deal of jostling, and one or two may have suffered in consequence. Coming to Tattenham Corner Sunkiss had taken the lead from Light Tackle. Solerina had always been in the first half-dozen and Coronal had moved up. Approaching the straight, Mesa was Fling a good position, but Johnstone elected to try to come through on the inside. It was at once apparent that the filly was hopelessly shut in. ANKARET IN THE LEAD.

It was about halfway up the straight that Ankaret took up the running, with Hyndford Bridge nearest her. The latter may have got her head in front for the moment, but Ankaret went on again. In the meantime Coronal had been pushed to the outside, but was disputing the issue | with the leaders. Quashed had been , steadily improving, and was running on, and Solerina was still holding her place. At the beginning of the last furlong Mesa had survived the many difficulties which had confronted her and had fought her way through, but she was a long way I behind. She began to make up ground i in magnificent style, and was steadily closing the wide gap that separated her , from the leaders, but even then her chance seemed hopeless, and it was unlikely that she could be placed. Ankaret was running on well, but Quashed was going a little better, and as they passed the judge J'elliss, by an effort for which no praise is too high, had landed her a winner, and Fox, who rode Ankaret, was deprived of the great double of the Derby and the Oaks, If Ankaret had won the result would ! have been a Blandford double for those j two big events. The time, 2min 41 i 2-nsec, was slow. :