A LUCKY HORSE AND HORSE OWNER,

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1671, 5 March 1890, Page 3

A LUCKY HORSE AND HORSE OWNER,

Donovan, who won; the; s §t. Leger, was bred by the Duke Jragrtland, in whose colours he l|jF||n in the Brogklesby Stakes, £t?Xiiicoln. This be won from Poem, and nine others,

and he followed this up with an easy victory in the valuable Portland Stakes, at the Leicester Spring. Meeting, in which he beat a field of 25. At Manchester,' in the Whitsuntide Plate, Chitabob, on receipt oif 13lb, very easily turned the tables on Donovan, who, however, win his next five races. These were the New Stakes at Ascot, Homebred Foal Stakes at the Bilbury Club Meeting, Hurstbourne Stakes at the Stockbridge Meeting proper, July Stakes at Newmarket, and Ham Stakes at Goodwood. After winning the lastnamed race on the opening day, he was pulled out on the Thursday for the Prince of Wales Stakes, but finished a bad third to El Dorado and Gold. He next scored a brace of victories at the Newmarket First October Meeting — in the Buckingham Stakes and Hopeful Stakes ; and at the Second October Meeting, in the Middle Park Plate, cantered away from Gulliver, Clover (French colt), Enthusiast, Swift;, Saint Serge, Miguel, Evergreen, Gay Hampton, Australia, Gold, Ben Strome, Minthe, and the colt by Hermit out of Ma Belle. In the Dewhurut Plate he wound up a successful two-year-old season by defeating Enthusiast, Australia, and others, the success being achieved by half %. length. This season he made his debut in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Leicester, wherein he scored an easy victory over Pioneer, Minthe, Enthusiast, Gay Hampton, and others, whereby he credited his noble owner with the biggest stake ever run for, viz, £11,000. In the Two Thousand Guineas Donovan was unaccountably beaten by Enthusiast, though in all probability the former's victory was more attributable to Tom Cannon's horsemanship than to any actual merit of his own. For the Newmarket Stakes of 7500sovs, however, he showed up in quite different colours, and won comfortably from his stable mate The Turchpbone, and a good field. He started a red hot favourite for the Derby, which fell an easy prey to him, the field behind him being composed of Miguel, El Dorado, Enthusiast, and six others. At Ascot a month later Donovan was still in the winning vein, and he achieved an easy victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes. Prior to Donovan's victory in the St. Leger he had won in stakes the large sum of £38,752, and as the Doncaster event would probably be worth about £4000, hit winnings in stakes will be raised to: nearly £44,000, while in round numbers the Duke of Portland has secured in stakes over £83,000 since the present season commenced.