A BABY CANDIDATE FOR THE CHAMPION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 36

A BABY CANDIDATE FOR THE CHAMPION.

"Did a two-year-old ever start in a V.R.C. Champion Race?" This was a question which was made the subject of a bet lecenlly, writes " Roderick." and subsequently put to me for a decision. I candidly confess that I was inclined to answer it emphaticaly in the negative. It seemed so preposterous, if not actually cruel, to expect a two-year-old to battle out such a strongly run three-mile race a» the Champion that I suppose 99 out of every 100 of my readers would have answered "No" to this query. Bui they would all have been wrong. Fortunately, I looked up old files, and discovered that as recently as '76— we were fairly civilised in tho»e days, too — a two-year-old did run in the Champion Race won by Richmond. Hie name jvaa Sk KxgishW and U»

finished — where one would naturally have expected him to have finished — last. In the graphic language of the racing biographer of that day, " Sir Knight walked in last amongst a crowd of spectators." His weight is described as " feather," and the time was smin 35sec. With a view to discovering the exact impost which this youngster was asked to carry, I waylaid his rider, Mr "Jemmy" King, who told that his bodily weight at that period — three and twenty years back — was just 4.7 i, and he being one of the lightest jockeys then riding, his services were- requisitioned on this occasion. Mr J. K. is now very much nearer 14 than four stone in point of weight. He considerably exceeds 9.7, anyhow.

THE DERBY.

Flying Fox won all right last Wednesday, as was expected after his performance at Newmarket in the Two Thousand. He took part in five events last season, appropriating bis | two first and last events, his initial outing be- ; ing in t!\o New Stakes at Ascot, the distance • being five furlongs and 136 yds. He waa made ; a rare " hot-pot" at 5 to 4, and in the hands ' of Morniugton Cannon, ho got home a some- . what easy winner by three-parts of a length i from Musa, with Dismay, four lengths off, f third. He then gave a good impression to | those who looked him over both before and | after the race, as it was admitted on all hands ' that he was open to great improvement, for it > was plain to everyone that he was anything I but cherry-ripe. He subsequently took part I in a double-handed contest with No Trumps. I for the Stockbridge Foal Stakes (five furlongs) j last July, starting at 9 to 4 on, the odds being I fully justified, as he simply played with his | opponent, the judge's fiat being an easy j length. He next visited Kempton Park in October, and took part in the Imperial Produce Slakes (six furlougs) r backers eagerly ac- , cepting 5 to 4- that he would be first past the • post. They were, however, doomed to disi appointment, as the Palace House representative, St. Gris, after a ding-dong finish, got home a short head in the hands of T. Loates, with Fascination, three-parts of a length off, third, Fascination being ridden hard to deprive j the Stockbridge-trained North Britain of the latter position. In the rear of the leading j trio there was really nothing of any account, , and considering that " the Fox " was conced- \ ing "the Saint" 51b there was little in it 1 between them. The Kingsclere candidate ! again met with defeat in the Middle Park Plate (six furlongs), as with 7 to 4 betted each of l\ro — Caiman and Flying Fox — the pair be- ■ ing handled respectively by Tod Sloan and ' Mornington Cannon, the American got home j a length and a-half, with Galopin Lassie a ) very bad third. The son of Orme, however, J had slightly the worst of the weights, as he : was conceding the minimum penalty of 31b i to Huggins's charge, and it was averred at 1 the time that "Moray" was caught slightly I afc his ease when the goal wa3 being approached. He then put in a final appearance for the Criterion Stakes (six furlongs) last October at the Newmarket Houghton meeting, a severe race of its kind, as a test of an animal's stamina, and the way in which the i master of Kingsclere's charge accomplished I his tapk was beyond reproach, as he simply j smothered his field at the finish, the ipsue never being- in doubt, for he won in a canter by a J length and a-half from Sinopi, with Mafcoppo, ! a head behind, third. Damocles, placed second, ! was not known by name when the last mail left, but the name identifies the youngster bej yond all doubt as the colt by Orme — Nemesis, ! belonging to Mr Larnaeh, who won the Derby j with Jeddah. This colt finished fourth in the • Tudor Plate in April. Innocence was bred < by Captain Grcville, and went cheap as a ! yearling, having a queer-looking hock, the j result of an accident. Innocence started five j times as a two-year-old, and won twice — the i Saltwoocl Plate, five furlongs, at Nottingham in August, and the Grange Nursery Handicap, seven furlongs, at Gatwick in November.