THE CLASSIC RACES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 38

THE CLASSIC RACES.

The Prince of Wales is following up his kick in rare style. The Derby last season, then the Grand National in the winter, fell to his stable, and now we have news by cable that his Royal Highness's much-criti-cised Diamond Jubilee, own brother to Persimmon, has captured the Two Thousand Guineas. When Diamond Jubliee got dished by Epsom Lad in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Goodwood, the critics suggested that Perdita II had been mated once too often with St. Simon, and the public solemnly turned tip the colt for showing the white feather when challenged to a race. When at last, at the Newmarket meejting in September, Diamond Jubilee did manage to win the Boscawen Stakes, it was against opposition no stronger than Paigle, Crown, Kquerry, Vulpio, and Marlnaham, and he won by only a head after a close race. Immediately afterwards he got downed by Democrat in the Middle Park and Dewhurst Plate* . Then the cognoscenti admitted that he had a lot of pace and power, but 'the general impression was that his temper would spoil him for thiv three-year-old engagements. Strange to sny. the first voice heard in opposition to that theory was Tod Sloan's. The American jockey gave it as his opinion, during an interview reported in last week's issue, that Diamond Jubilee would beat Democrat and win the Derby. The prophecy is not yet realised, but the chance of its coming of? will now be very little more thim even money. The one thing we should have liked to know, but regarding which the cable is silent, is whether Democrat started in the Two Thousand. The horses that finished in lower places behind Diamond Jubilee are mere nobodies. Bonarosa won nothing but the Woodcote Stakes last season, and Sidus did not run at all as a two-year-old. All three are engaged in the Newmarket Stokes and the Derby, the date of the latter being the 30th May. As to the One Thousand, Winifreda has an unbeaten record as far as it goep. She ran only once as a two-year-old, when she won the Richmond Slakes at Goodwood. Judges of horseflesh liked the filly very much when they then saw her, and predicted that she would prove one of the best of her age amongst the weaker sex. But, though" Winifreda would no doubt be backed, it is more than likely that she was less of a favourita than "Vain Duchess, the winner of four good stakes, including the Great Lancashire Breeders, Produce Stakes, and it is pretty well a certainty that tho beating of Vain Duohess by such an unknown quantity as Inquisitive — whose only performance as a two-year-old was being unplaced in the WooOcote Stakes: — would be a genuine surprise. Mr Morrin will be particularly gratified at the^e classic results, for both winners are by St. Simon, sire of the horse he has just bought in England.