FRENCH HORSE’S TRIUMPH

Southland Times, Issue 23544, 25 June 1938, Page 11

FRENCH HORSE’S TRIUMPH

ENGLISH DERBY SUCCESS IMPORTANT PART PLAYED BY DRY SEASON Blame the drought for an outsider winning the 1938 Derby! Bred in France, Bois Roussel won a race early in the season at Longchamp, and so impressed the Hon. Peter Beatty that he paid £BOOO for the colt and entered him in the Derby. Fred Darling, trainer of the favourite, Pasch, took charge of the French colt at Beckhampton, but because of the dry weather it was decided not to race him, and so he was, more or less, an unknown quantity. Mr Beatty hoped for rain, states an English correspondent. His prayers were answered, and his judgment of Bois Roussel confirmed. , . After lying well behind —so far back indeed that as the field swung into the straight, C. E. Elliott, the jockey, did not think he had one chance in a thousand of winning—Bois Roussel (20 to 1) began to pass the field one by one.. A quarter of a-mile from the post, Scottish Union (8 to 1) and the favourite Pasch (9 to 4) were the only horses in front. A tap of the whip ana Bois Roussel literally bounded ahead. A furlong from home he took the lead to win by four clear lengths. WELL-DEVELOPED COLT

Bois Roussel is a big and well-de-veloped brown colt by Vatout, the sire of William of Valence, out of a very good brood mare, Plucky Leige, who was by Spearmint, a winner of the Derby, out of Concertina, who was by St Simon. Admiral Drake and Sir Galahad 111, are also out of Plucky Leige, whose half-sister by Roseland, Garron Lass, is the dam of Friar s Daughter, who is the dam of Bahram, a winner of the Derby, and one of the best winners of that race of all tune, and also of Dastur. It is a little over two months since Mr Beatty happened to mention to Prince Aly Khan that he wanted to buy a good horse, and said he was prepared to go to £3OOO. Prince Aly Khan, who had seen Bois Roussel, then the property of M. Volterra, in France, suggested the purchase of the colt, but told Mr Beatty he would cost £BOOO. Offers were made to M. Volterra, who, however, stuck out for his price, ana eventually Mr Beatty and Fred Darling crossed the Channel to see Bois Roussel race. He won at Longchamp, and the deal was immediately closed. Mr Beatty’s profits from his victory have been estimated at about £BO,OOO. He backed the horse—and won £35,000; he won £9OOO stake money; his horse’s value went up £35,000. A YOUNG DERBY WINNER

Mr Beatty is young to have won the Derby., He began racing at the earliest moment. He registered his colours in 1932, the first season after he came of age. That same year he inherited from his mother—who was a daughter of Mr Marshall Field, of Chicago, £200,000 and her stable. She also left him her Reigate property, The Priory. Another £40,000 came to him on the death of his father. His purchase of Bois Roussel may be taken as indicating that he has also inherited from the late Lord Beatty an eye for a horse. Mr Beatty did not follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, Lord Beatty, and go into the Navy. Instead, he went to Eton. Like Lord Beatty, he is a "hunting man. He regards the air as the best, indeed the natural medium for travel He. backs his opinion in business. He is a director and the principal shareholder in Personal Airways. Mr Beatty has stated that the next race in which the Derby winner will run is uncertain at the moment. “I have entered him,” he said, “for the Gold Vase at Ascot, but I have no intention of running him there now. He is also in the Grand Prix de Paris, and a race worth some thousands of pounds to be run at Berlin. He is engaged, too, in the big international race at Ostend.”

TABLE TENNIS DRAW FOB NEXT WEEK The draw for next week’s table tennis matches is as follows:— MONDAY Women’s A grade—Rata v. County; Civil Service v. Moana; W.S. and Co. v. St. Mary’s; Alliance No. 1 v. Alliance No. 2. Women’s B grade.—Moana v. Southern; St. Mary’s v. Alliance; Smith’s v. County; Civil Service, a bye. TUESDAY Men’s A grade.—Alliance No. 1 *v. 'Alliance No. 2; W.S. and Co. No. 2 v. Wanderers. Men’s B grade.—Building Society v. Pirates; Cycling Club v. St. Mary’s No. 2. WEDNESDAY Men’s A grade.—Pirates v. Star J To. 2; W.S. and Co. No. 1 v. County; Star No. 1, a bye. Men’s B grade.—Frozen Meat Co. v. W.S. and Co., Smith’s v. Alliance; Southern v. Star; St. Mary’s, a bye.

MEN’S HOCKEY TOWN TEAM TO PLAY EASTERN-NORTHERN CURTAIN-RAISER TO ENGLISH WOMEN’S MATCH Following is the Tov/n men’s hockey team to play Eastern-Northern at Gore as a curtain-raiser to the women’s hockey match between England and Eastern Southland: —V. Poole, E. Mullen, I. Speirs, V. Hennessy, H. Kennedy, R. Chisholm, A. Sharp (captain), H. Semmens, W. Barraclough . K. Lythgoe, N. Poole. Reserves: G. Hughes, M. Keane, H. Rennick afid R. Shields. MATAURA TEAMS The Mataura hockey team to play Wyndham, at Mataura, is:—D. Ross, P. Gillies, M. Folster, M. Bonney, C. Johnston, B. Maskill, L. Haywood, M. Cameron, V. Brewster, L. English, J. Adam. RUGBY FOOTBALL MATAURA TEAMS The following will represent Mataura in a match against Balfour:—Heaps, Scobie, McCaughan, Currie, J. Adam, Leitch, Wyeth, G. Adam, Renshaw, Clarke, McGowan, McKay, Gaudion, Pow, Webb. Emergencies: Hunt, Patrick. The second grade team to play Wyndham, at Wyndham, is:—N. Johnston, Smith, Heaps, Shaw, J. Folster, Coster, Hannah, D. Johnston, W. Folster, Allison, Monaghan, Jenkins, Sayers, Harvey, Gibson. Emergencies: McGillivray, Clarke.