ENGLISH NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16625, 6 January 1922, Page 3

ENGLISH NOTES.

(Special to the “ Star/') LONDON, November 3. The Newmarket season was not allowed to end without another big race surprise. This was in the Jockey Club Oup, over the Gesarevritch course, of two miles and a quarter, an event, although tempting but three runners, which provided as fine a fight for honours as did the Cambridgeshire on the previous day. The three performers wore Flamboyant (from. the Tishy stable)., winner of the Prince Edward Handicap at Manchester and the Doncaster Cup. Lrffrd Derby's Harrier, second in the Prince Edward Handicap, and third in the Cesarewitch, and Nippon, a big filly trained by Basil Jarvis, who had the Ascot Derby to her credit, but who was beaten a week previously at Sandown Park by Persse’s Petrea and Taylor’s Plymstock. Harrier, as a •four-year-old, had to concede 131 b to Flamboyant-—ICZLb less than at Manchester. where the difference in favour of the younger animal had been threequarters of a length—while Nippon got the additional allowance of 3lb. Despite the altered terms, which benefited •Lord Derby's representative, those associated with Flarnbovnnt would not hea i- of defeat, and, with this example of supreme confidence the money was piled on the colt. He looked remarkably well—perhaps a trifle too well—but then he is naturally a lengthy, thick-set and powerful horse, though of the cobby type. He has a blood like head and the action of a, real stayer, but in other respects he is extraordinarily “ chunky in conformation, and after the pattern of Am ad is, who won Oup races for Ford Falmouth. Harrier was bright in his coat, but I think the Hon George bambeon was more hopeful than confident in his case. Nippon, of course, was the outsider of the party. ■Great was the surprise. therefore, when Nippon proved equal to winning a memorable race. As they came across the flat, it was obvious how well she was going, and her jockey, Fox, was sitting up against her, as it were. FI am boy ant was making his own running a.t what appeared to be quite- a good pace, while Harrier- was tracking him. None of the riders gave the impression of being hard pressed as the Bushes were passed, but then the first to aek his mount to make a finishing rim was Lister on tbe favourite. The colt responded, but so did Nippon when Fox urged her to go on with the leader. Simultaneously Donoghue. on Harrier, moved up on the inside, a quick manoeuvre which had the effect of setting all three hard at work. From that point there was a. grand tussle. They ran almost level, for some strides, but iust as they got into tbe Dip. Flamboyant began to lose ground. Then did the other two close with each other, and half-way up the bill Nippon had: her head, well in front. Donoghue, howei or. put in a tremendous finish, and drew level again. But Harrier gave the slightest falter almost on the winning post and Nippon won bv a few inches. Judge Robinson afterwards remarked that as they came to him be thought there would be a heal, and it was only in the lost stride that the filly forged a slight advantage home. Tt was. indeed, hard luck for "Lord Dec!by, who was present, that he should thus miss securing an honoured trophy after accounting for the favou-rite—-who was three-quarter of a length behind at the finish—hut he will be the first to admit that his horse ran on most gamely, nnd did all that he could. On the other hand Mr Hornung, the owner of Nippon, is to bo heartily congratulated upon the splendid performance of the filly, for it certainly presages her becoming a stayer of high class next season. She. had beaten very little at Ascot, hufc this Jockey Club Oup effort was quite notable.

Possibly it was due to Flamboyant’s defeat and a feeling that nothing can go right for a stable out of luck—tb-e Tisliy disaster, of course, will be immortalised in the history of the English Turf that there was much opposition to Lem bach, Reggie Day’s smart two-year-old, for the Dewhurst Stakes, a race worth over £SOO. He gave the idea that lie was certain to win oil form, but paddock impressions of him were not wholly satisfactory. Besides, he iiad been known to have been among the victims of the coughing epidemic, and be was sweating and anxious. Hebrires. carrying tho colours of Sir James Buchanan, was the apparent danger. In the result the last-named was beaten only a head, and I think he would have won had he put more vigour into the finish. He did not run up the hill too generously, but it may be that the seventh furlong was a. trifle too

much for him. Lembach was conceding /lb, so that there was much -credit in his victory, even though he only got there with a head margin to tho good. Newmarket having finished, racegoers turned their attention to Alexandra Park, where it was possible to lunch in the open and to watch racing on bard ground and in sunshine. One doubts whether similar conditions * can ever have prevailed before at the end of October. Tbe main attraction was the Txmdon Autumn Cup. a mile and a quarter handicap of £IOOO, added to a sweepstakes of £lO each. Ten horses,

remained to face the starter out of an original entry of forty-three, and the result was a. very easy win for the four-year-old, Envoy, owned ’by Mr Hairy Brown. This owner-trainer-rider is not much concerned with fiat racing and doubtless he was thinking primarily of hurdle racing when at the last December sales he gave 1400 guineas for Envoy, who had quite a fair record on the flat when trained by Reggie Day. Though he had the * £ cnt ,J of one. Envoy was not a success over hurdles and that is why Mr Brown, I suppose, reintroduced him to the business that was appreciated by him. He ivas nicely handicapped in this Cup race on his three-year-old form. and the market showed that he was greatly fancied, in spite of heavy bandages on his forelegs, suggesting fear of the hard ground. A short priced favourite, however, was found in the Duke of Portland's Evan dev. a stable companion of tbe gallant little Grandcourt, who was also in tbe field. Evander was much the better backed of the two, although he is ill-adapted in conformation to the sharp and eccentric course round turns at Alexandra Park. This, indeed, was probably the reason why he ran *o disappointingly, whereas Grandcourt proved once uga'.n what a great fellow he is on thr North Lon - don racecourse. He had tio chance with Envoy, as it turned o-ut. at the weights ---he was conceding as much as 241b—but he van ruos-t creditably all the same to gain the minor distinction of place honours with Count Palatine—also an ideally built one for the course—separating him from the winner. Where Count Palatine finished there Bird’s Nest, on previous running, should have been, hut he never overcame the disadvantage n slow beginning.