FLYING FOX'S HISTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 46

FLYING FOX'S HISTORY.

Tn announcing that Flying Fox has finished his racing career, the idea of having him trained for Ascot Gold Cup having been abandoned, the Sportsman says : The famous horse lhat filled so large a place in the public eye during his racing career, and whose disposal for 37,500gs at the recent historic Kingsclere sale put all previous records into !! c sisade, was bred by the late Duke of Westm.nster, and is by Orme out of Vampire. His racing merit was of the first order, pikl he tnkes a place among the band of distinguished thoa'oughbreds that have won the "triple crown" of the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and St. Leger. In addition, fie cleared the board of the three ''ten thousand pounders" — the Eclipse' Stakes at Sandown Park, and the Princess o'i alWes's Stakes and Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket — last year, and but for the death of his late owner would doubtless have stood out as the greatest winner of stakes in the annals of horse-racing. As it is, Flying Fox has to be credited with the extremely substantial sum of £40,036 as the resuH ci Lis efforts as a two <and three year old. It may be mentioned, by the way, that, as regards money won, the record is held by Isinglass , with £57,4-55. Flying Fox made his first appearance in the New Stake* at Ascot in 1898, when, coming out with a good home reputation, he started favourite at 5 to 4- in a field of ten. He justified the confidence of Kingsclere, and then at Stockbridge landed the odds betted on him against No Trumps; his only opponent. The colt's next essay was in tti2* Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton Park, when he went down by a head to St. Gris, and the following week he was the run-ner-up to Caiman for the Middle Park Plate, beaten a" length and a-half. A/t the Houghton meetiuc; he .iron che Criterion Stakes by the same dislar.ee from Sinopi, the pair having four othero behind them, and Flying Fox then retired into winter quarters. Be came out. last year for the Two Thousand Guineas, with the credit of having won an extraordinary trial at homo and won in hallow style turning the tables on ids Middle Park Plate conqueror, whom lie beat by a coupl". of lengths, the pair being followed home by half a dozen others. He was then reserved for the Derby, for which 5 to 2 was bstted on him. end in r field of a dozen he won by a couple of lengths from Damocles, with Innocence third. In the course of the rsce the French, colt Holocauste, who was regarded as his most dangerous opponent, smashed a pastern so badly that it was found necessary to have him destroyed. Flying Fox was then kept for the Princess? oi Wales's Stakes at the - Newmarket First .!uly meeting, which he won in easy style from Roj-al Emblem, Ninus, and ' sir others. For the next "ten thousand t>ounder" (the Eclipbe Stakes at Sandown Park) he had for opponer+s Niuus, Golden Bridge, and iieir Male, besides his stable companion Frontier, and with odds of 100 to 14entrusted to him he ecored by a length from the last-named, who in turn had the bept of Nipus by half a length. His next race was at Doncaster, where, with edds of 7 to 2 betted on. he very easily accounted for ihe St. Lager. Caiman, regarded as the only clanger, failing to make the least impression upon the favourite. The Newmarket First October meeting saw the redoubtable Kings Jiere colt trader silk for the la-t time, and it was amon« the easiest of his taplcs when, with the prohibitive odds of 8 to 1 on, he disposed of seven opponents, of whom Scintillant (the subsequent winner of the Oesarewitch), in receipt of .nearly a stone, was beaten by four lengths-.