GIVING UP

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 84, 20 November 1928, Page 3

GIVING UP

I SIR ABE BAILEY'S PLANS TISHY'S FAILURE RECALLED. After 35 years' connection "with tho turf in England Sir Abo Bailor, tlie South African diamond magnate, is to retire. Except for three favourite stallions, all his horses are to be sold, including Tourist, the favourite for the Cesarewitch, wrote a London writer a few weeks ago. News that Sir Abe Bailey has decided to retire has taken the racing f.vorld by surprise, although it has been known for some time that hhas been in poor health. It is this factor which has forced him to give up the sport. Except for his three favourite stallions, Son-in-law, Bucks Hussar, and Son and Heir, the whole of his horses are to be sold, including Tourist, the present favourite for the Cesarewitch, though the sale will not take placa until after that race.

Horses in training and yearlings will be sold at Newmarket during the Cambridgeshire meeting, and the mares and foals at the Newmarket December sales. WHEN TTSII.Y WAS LAST. Sir Abe Bailey has been racing n England for nearly 35 years, though his connection with the sport first began soni(! years before that in South Africa. His retirement recalls the fact that

following the amazing defeat of Tishy in the Cesarewitch of 192], in which to the utter surprise of her owner and the world in general she caine in last, Sir Abe Bailey sold off all his horses and went back to South Africa. But the call of the turf was too deeply ingrained in him, and he wis soon back in England again to resume !iis association with the game. Twice before—in 1912 and 1920 he had announced Iris retirement for various reasons, only to return again the following season. Tiiis time his retirement is definite and absolute. "It is impossible for me to express adequately the great regret I feel at the severance of our long and successful association," said Mr, Reggie Day, Sir Abe Bailey's trainer, at Newmarket last month. "Although, of course, I was Avell aware that he was very seriously ill, I had no idea even a week ago that Sir Abe would be compelled to retire from the sport he loved. IRREPAKABLE LOSS. "His loss 1o the turf is almost irreparable, and it is sad to think that what I consider the finest stud of brood mares and young stock in the country has to be dispersed. "Sir Abe and I have been looking forward eagerly to the pleasure of racing the stock of Foxlaw and the other high-class stallions, and right up to the last moment I have been quite unconscious of the blow that was in store for me." Despite lavish expenditure in blood stock, Sir Abe Bailey has never won ;a ! classic race, though he thought that, but for an amazing error, he i might have won the Derby of 1920 with Southern. J But the colt, who had carried off I the Gimcrack Stakes at York the i previous season, was struck out of all I engagements in mistake for another horse.

Lex, too, disappointed him in this respect Ho ran in the Derby won by Coronach, but whatever chance he had was destroyed when another horse struck into him. One of the best horses he ever owned was undoubtedly Dark Ronald, who, after bringing off a successful coup in the Boyal Hunt Cup of 1909, won the Princess of Wales' Stakes arid the Doncaster Cup. One of, Dark Ronald's sons was Son-in-Law, who Avon the Cesarewitch for Sir Abe in 1915, and sired, among other successful stayers, Tourist.

BROWN PRINCE AND FOXLAW. Other big races Sir Abe Bailey won included the Cambridgeshire, with Brown Prince, in 1917, and the Ascot Gold Cup with Foxlaw last year, and it is probable that ho derived more satisfaction from the latter'--: victory than he had done from any other triumph of his turf career. His most notable successes this season have been the victory of Tourist in .the Princess of Wales'" stakes at Newmarket, and of Law Suit in the Irish St. Leger recently. His colours wore carried to victory in the Bentinclc Fund Nursery at Newmarket this month by'Anne Lovely Sir Abe Bailey thus won this race for the third successive year, Orford having triumphed in .].92<} and Lair last season. In South Africa, Sir Abe has enjoyed remarkable Ids horses having carried off'tho South African Derby and Oaks several times, while the valuable Johannesburg Handicap has fallen to him more often than to any other owner.