RACING IN ENGLAND

Otago Witness, Issue 2835, 15 July 1908, Page 56

RACING IN ENGLAND

;HE ENGLISH DERBY,

The heat at Epsom on Derby day was quite tropical, nd m living memory it h«d never knovra more idyllic conditions. The London Sport6inan say — "With all the concomitants of an Old English fair to be seen on every side, it was for all the world like a holiday carnival in a great city which all the inhabitants had turned out to see. It was a record crowd — nothing like it has ever befoie been seen in the world of sport. People came from all parts of the country to view the Olympian event of horse racing. One rubbed shoulders with the most widely diversified types. The victory of Perier was the only thing needed to have made the Derby day of 1908 an absolutely id«*l one, and had it taken place, it is easy to imagine that the police might never have been able to clear the course again for the decision of the remaining three races The King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess o-f Connaught, and Prince Christian all arrived before racing began. They were 10 minutes late in getting to the post, and then about a quarter of an hour was out to waste by the fractiousness of Vamose and Pom. The tapes were twice broken, but when- Mi Willoughoy finally released the barrier the start was an absolutely perfect one except that V*arno c c whipped round and completely extinguished his chance.

It is difficult to know what to write elaout the winner She was tailed off m the One Thousand Guineas, but ran well for a long 1 distance in the Newmarket Stakes, in which, hoy, ever, she was distinctly inferior to Primer. To-day the beat him with a gcod 7,b in hand, and, in spite of the ,nteu.=o heat, when the returned to the woigliing-rooni she scarcely had a saddle mark, whilst she would not have blo-vn a pmch of snuff off a sixpence, and gave one the impie%s!on of having done a six-furlong canter instead of having won one of the fastest Derbies on record Few people, indeed, could have bucked her, yet there was plenty of chewing an<? everyone ic!t that Che\aher Gi,n"tieili Richly deseived his memorable triumph During all the years he ha« been in ihis country the Chevalier has pursued his way in unobtrusive fashion, yet always racing «•< a gentleman and a sportsman should do The wmnei ie bred by himfeeif from his ke-

loved Signorin* — a filly worthy to rank with Sceptre or Pretty Polly. When put to the stud she proved to be a very shy breeder, but, after several barren years., produced Signorino to Best M»n, who waa good enough to finish third to Cicero both in the iNewmarket Stakes and the De-rby. Then came the- heroine of to-day's race, who is by Ch»lereux, a good, honest stayer, who was never more than second class, and there is a yearling own sistear to her. Signorinetta. who is only the fourth filly to win the Derby — her predecessors being Shotover. Blink Bonny, and Eleanor— is trained by her owner.

THE DERBY STAKES,

Of 6500sovs, for three-yeaT-olds ; colts 9.0, fillies 8.9 ; the nominator of the winner received 500sovs, the second 400sovs, and the third 2Oosovs. About one mile and a-half. Chev. Ginistrelli's b or br f Signorinetta, by Cbaleureux — Signorina, 8.9 (W. Bullock) 1 Duke of Portland's b o Primer, by St.

Simon — Breviary, 9.0 (B. Dillon) .. 2 Mr A. Barclay "Walker's b c Llangwm, by Missel Thrush — Llangarren Lass, 9.0 (V. Mohef) 3 Mr J Buchanan's Mountain Apple, by

Persimmon — Ravensberg, 9.0 (L. Lyne) 4 Mr C. T. Pulley's Eaton Lad, by Orvieto —Hush. 9.0 (Wm. Griggs) 5

Mr W. K. Vanderbilt's Seasick 11, by Elf— Saf Sa-f, 9.0 (G. Sterm) 6 Mr "W. Hall Walker's Royal ReaJm, by

Persimmon — Sandblast, 9.0 (T. Price) .. 7 Mr "VV. Hall Walkei's Pom, by Count

Schomborg— PuffbaJl. 9.0 (L. Hewitt) . 8 Mr A. F. B*sse-tt's Sir Archibald, by Desmond — Arc Light, 9.0 (Mr G. Thursby) 9 Mr W. Hall Walker's White Eagle, by Galhnule— Merry Gal, 9.0 (H. Randall) 10 Mt Wm. Clark's Rushcutter, by Persim-

mon—Curbstone 9.0 (F. Wootton) .. 11 Duke of "Westminster's Vamose, by Oime —Vampire, 9.0 (W. Halsley) .. .. la His Majesty's Perrier, by Persimmon — Amphora, 9 0 (H. Jones) 13

Mir F. G>retfton's Orphah, by Orme — Rosalia, 9.0 (W. Higgs) U Mr A. Belmont's Norman 111, by Octagon —Nineveh, 9.0 (O. Madden) 15

Mr J. Byrne's Mercutio, by For far shire — Sillabub, 9.0 (W. Evans) ... 16

Mr J. B. Hatmaker'a Azote by Arab — Said*. 9.0 (Maslin) 17 Mr A. M Simon's Moei, by Loved One — Edn 9.0 (J. W. East) 18

a, -as Norman II and Mountain Apple started equal favouritea for the «vent.

THE RACE.

They were 10 minutes late in reaching the post, sitfid considerable further delay took place owing to the fraotiousness of Pom and Vamose. Then Vamose and Azote broke through the tapes, and another two or three minutes were spent in mending these, only tc be broken again. Eventually a- capital start was effected, except tha-t Vamose was left. Orphan waa the first to break the line, but when they had faily settled down Mercutio took up ihe running from Orphan. Norman 111, Seasick 11. Sloet, Pearrier, and Eaton Lad. At the mile post Norman 111 and Mountain Apple had become second and third respectively, their ne*rest attendants being Orplrah and Royal Realm. Coming down the hill Normian 111 was in trouble, and Mountain Apple took up the running from Sir Archibald, White Eagle, Seasick 11, Royal Re*lm, Signorin-e-tta, and Primer. From this point Signorinetti, rapidly worked her way to tii-e front, and headed Mountain Apple about a quarter of a mile from home, Primer being now third and Llangwm next. Primer became second inside the distance, but Signorinetta had no difficulty in holding him at bay, and won in easy fashion by a couple of lengths. Llangwm, who finished very strongly, was only beaten » neck for second plaae; Mountain Apple -was fourth, Eaton Lad fifth, Seasick II sixth. Royal Realm seventh, Pom eighth, Sir Archibald ninth, White Eagle tenth. Rusheu'tter eleventh, Vamose twelfth, Perrier thirteenth, Orp-bah fourteenth, Norman 111 fifteenth, Mercutio next, and Moet last. Time by Benson's chronograph, 2mm 39 4-se«c. Value of the stakes, £6450. The wanner was without exception the biggest outsider in the