ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 621, 22 June 1898, Page 4

ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS.

In his notes on the race for the One Thousand Guineas, the "Special Commissioner " of the London " Sportsman " writes ; " Nun Nicer and Royal Footstep -were not tried, and ran on their merits, but Sir Biundell fancied Nun Nicer as being the more forward; while Royal Footstep, being a late foal and a very big filly, is more likely to be heard of to advantage about tho Leger time. I need hardly remind my readers that Nun Niner's victory was another triumph for the figures. I went into that question that year, and long before she was in training I had shown how the alliance of Common and Priestess ought with ordinary luck to result in something first-class. No one wants to see a finer filly than the winner, hard, wiry, with great "length, deep girth, wide hips, and powerful quarters ; rare quality, and if, as scone might pay, short of a rib, none tho worse for it in ray opinion, having regard to her general conformation. She is b}' no means at her best now, and as she stays thoroughly well she is not likely to be beaten this year by one of her sex, unless by her stable companion. It is likely enough that for once in a way the fillies this year are better than the colts ; indeed, Nun Nicers form cf last year seems to indicate this. She and Royal Footstep were saddled away from the paddock, which cauaed considerable disappointment, but there were plenty of others on view, and among them St la, though a little light in her middle piece, found great favour. Airosa is a still finer filly, of commanding scope and power. Her head is not set on at a perfectly nice angle, but that is of no great account, and she was not fancied without reason, for she allowed very great speed for six furlongs, up to which point she was going better than any other. The fear winch some entertained as'to the lack of stamina of the Bonnie Katie breed was then confirmed, and she died out. A Stewards' Cup or Portland Plate will be more in her line. Of the American pair the sturdy chestnut Bloozen was a good deal more like the business of the day than Chinook. Airs and Graces having been sold out of the Heath House stable for 480 guineas last year was supposed by many to be no good, but her trainer, F. AV. Day, declared she would get a place, and his judgment in buying her at a time when she Avas not only a cast-off, but declared to be unsound in her wind, was amply ' vindicated. Ebba, though still on the small side, has much improved since last year, and . in an average season of fillies might liave been about the mark. Ayah also was well liked for her neatness arid quality, but she is rather short in front of the saddle. The cue that pleased me as well as any was Lowood, who is really first-class, as far as looks and blood go, though somewhat on the leg, but after Batt'a running it seemed folly to fancy her. She ran very well indeed ail the same, and few who saw her only just fail to obtain third place would believe in Batt's superiority if the two could be put together in an actual race. Sylvestris is nicely bred but very small, and Luciole has no pretensions to first-class form. The race was run at a good pace, and Airosa showed great speed to the Bushes. Royal Footstep en the right ran very well, but there wero only four in it as they began the ascent out of the dip, and then it was ab once obvious that only one was in it, and that was Nun Nicer. Airs and Graces, Alt Mark and Lowood fought out the place battle well, but the daughter of Common and Priestess won her race quite easily. I should expect Lowood to, perhaps, beat the second and third another time, but Nun Nicer is out by herself until Royal Footstep conies along in the autumn. Nun Nicer won tho race, which is run over one mile and eleven yards, in lmin 48 3-sth sec, and the stakes amounted to £4800. Last year Chelandry occupied lmin 42 2-sth sec — this being the fastest time in which the race has been run — and credited her owner with £4250. In 1896 Thais covered the course in lmin 46 l-sth sec, and the stakes amounted to £5100, while in 1895 the time of Galeottia was lmin 47 l-b(h _ec, and the value of the stakes £4500. The weight carried in the race was raked from Bst 101b ' to Bsfc 12ib in 1882. The One Thousand Guineas was first run for in 1814. In the early days of its existence it seldom attracted many runners; in fact, from 1814 to. _850 the field only reached double figures on" three occasions, and in 1826 it resulted in a walk-over for the I Duke of Grafton's Tontine. About that : period the nobleman in question enjoyed a : tremendous run of success in the One Thousand, winning it no fewer than eight times : from 1819 to 1827, his. sequence being broken i only by the success 0 f Lord Jersey's Cobweb, 5 (afterwards dam of the celebrated Bay Middleton).