RACING IN ENGLAND.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 561, 26 November 1915, Page 5

RACING IN ENGLAND.

e—— —— POMMERN THE CHAMPION COLT SNOW MARTEN THE BEST FILLY. Six months ago the prospects for the English racing season looked anything but favourable. Most of the leading" i courses were closed down, the railways could not be utilised for the conveyance of racehorses, and many of the training establishments cut their teams down to bed rock proportions. Yet, despite all these disadvantages, the sport carried on at Newmarket in surprising fashion. Early in the season it was found expedient to re-name the classics in accordance with their new surroundings, and though the New Derby and New Oaks, and later the September Stakes, which was virtually the St. Leger under a new cognomen, will not go down to. history with the full amount of prestige commanded by the genuine events, they were easily the star items of the year's racing. The 'Chasing Season.

When the last mail left the flat racing had just about run its course, and speculation was rife as to how the winter sport would fare. Doubts were even expressed as to whether any of the principal steeplechase fixtures would eventuate. Should this happen it would mean little short of disaster to thousands who have to depend on racing as their only means of livelihood. Scores of racing stables would have- to close down,, and there would be an enormous depreciation in the value of thoroughbreds in consequence. As a matter of fact, this latter contingency is already much in evidence, with the result that studmasters in New Zealand and Australia have been to secure quite a number of rare bargains.. Poinmern Wins Again.

The September Stakes gave Mr Sol Joel's great colt Pommern a further Opportunity of adding to his fame, and it is hard luck for his owner that the colt will not be able to claim "Triple Crown" honours, although he has practically earned that distinction. Nevertheless, Pommern's three-year-old achievements will elass him with the best that have gained the highest honours associated with the English turf, and the extraordinary circumstances that have been associated with his racing career may in future years make it stand out more prominently than would have been the case in normal times.

ffhe Leger Substitute. In dealing with the mnners and result of the September Stakes, a writer in the "Sporting Times" mentions that Pommern looked beautiful, though he das sweating a good deal prior to the race. So far from being over trained (as some of the Newmarket critics had declared), he .looked far bigger and heavier than he did on the New Derby day, so much so that Peck expressed a fear that he might have been a little too easy with him. He went down to the post with his usual machine-like action, but Snow Marten swished her tail ominously, and Let Fly was obviously sulking. The story of the race is soon told. Birdseye set a strong pace from Pommern and Achtoi, with Let Fly and Apothecary in close attendance. After going six furlongs Pommern went up to the leader, and Snow Marten closed up with Achtoi. Before coming to the Bushes Birdseye dropped out, and Snow* Marten took second place, but she could never get on terms with the favourite, who won hard held by two lengths from Snow Marten. Let Fly, who never looked dangerous, was fourth, and Apothecary fifth. A Great Galloper.

Thus Pommern vindicated his right to be considered a real smasher. He has won each of his races this year in precisely the same effortless fnsTuon, and we should reckon him the best threeyear old that has been seen since Spearmint. Many people had a lurking idea that Pommern might not stay more than a mile and a-half, but the assumption was not founded on anything but fancy, based probably on his sire being best known as the winner of the Cambridgeshire. Polyrnelus, however, stayed well enough, as did his sire, the Gold Cup winner Cyllene. The double cross of Hampton, moreover, in Pommern's pedigree makes for staying power, and then, j too, he shows inbreeding "to that good rnare Distant Shore, grand-dam of Cyllene, and dam of St. Hilalre, who is the maternal dam Joel's good colt. A Win for Mr Singer. Another important back-end 'event was the Newmarket St. Leger, which must not be confounded with the Doncaster race of similar na- .e. This went to Mr A. M. Singer's Santoi colt Achtoi after a great finish with the Kingseleretrained Bydand and Colonel Hall-Wal-ker's disappointing Let Fly, the trio being separated only by short heads. • TEMPLAR.