Racing World

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19050, 1 July 1924, Page 6

Racing World

By

r EARLY BIRD

turf fixtures. July 9. 12—Wellington R-C. July 19—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 24—Waimate District Hunt Club. July 24, 26—Gisborne R.C. August I—Poverty Bay Hunt Club. August 2—Christchurch Hunt Club. August 12, 14, 16—Canterbury J.C. August 23—Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club. August 30—North Taranaki Hunt Club. Sept. 3—Marton J.C. Sept. 4—Rangitikei Hunt Club. Sept. 6—Otago Hunt Club. Sept. 10— Manawatu Hunt Club. Sept. 13, 15—Wanganui J.C. Sept. 17—Dannevirke R.C. Sept. 18—Dannevirke Hunt Club. Sept. 19, 20—Ashburton County R.C. Sept. 20, 22—Avondale J.C. Sept. 20, 22—Otaki-Maori R.C. Sept. 25, 26—Geraldine R.C. Sept. 27 —Napier Park R.C. • October I—Hawke’s Bay J.C. THE GRAND PRIX PARIS, June 29. The Grand Prix resulted: — Transvaal 1 Le Gros 2 Marne . . ....... 3 Dnganda .. .. .. ... 4 A RIOTOUS CROWD Received June 30, 5.5 p.m. PARIS, June 29. There were extraordinary scenes at the end of the day’s racing. The crowd, exasperated by the judge disqualifying Creditible, winner of tho last race, besieged the committee room and threw stones and chairs at owners and committee members, shouting, “Thieves, Crooks!” Police and municipal guards, and then the cavalry, had to be called in to surround the building before order was restored. HISTORY OF THE RACE. ENGLISH OWNERS’ SUCCESSES “The Grand Prix,” which holds the same distinctive place in France as that accorded the Derby in England, is run over a mile and seven furlongs. The French classic event is in every sense a test that requires a three-year-old to be endowed with stamina of a high order. The Grand Prix de Paris was first run for in 1863, and English-bred horses have a good number of victories to their credit. The initial contest resulted in a victory for Mr Savile’s colt Tho Ranger. Three years afterwards another colt carrying the colours of an English sportsman w r as found home in the van, the Duke of Beaufort supplying the winner with Ceylon. At an interval of two years the ill-fated Marquis of Hastings sajv his colours carried to victory by The Earl, and then four years after Mr Savile supplied the winner a second time with Cremorne. Mr W. R. Marshall was the next Britisher to claim the winner of the great French race, which he did with Trent two years after Cremorne’s victory. Five years then elapsed before an Englishbred colt scored, Mr C. Brewer’s Robert the Devil (who filled the role of runner-up to Bend Or in the Derby) scoring. An American sportsman in Mr J. R. Keene supplied the winner in the succeeding year with the Americanbred colt Foxhall, and the year after “Old England” got another turn, Mr H. Rymill beating the opposition with Bruce. Three years later Mr Brodriek Cloete scored with Paradox (who was second to Melton in the English Derby); and in the following year Mr R. C. Vyner won with Minting. Then, after an interval of 16 years, the Irish sportsman, Major Loder, captured the great race with Spearmint, and the fact of the winner being sired by Auckland-bred Carbine added a unique record to the race. In 1920 au English-bred colt in the shape of Comrade, who carried the colours of a-French sportsman, M. E. de St. Alary, scored a surprise victory and in the following year Mr J. Watson’s Lcmonora led the field home. At last advices a largo number of English-bred horses were still engaged in the Grand Prix, and among the number was Lord Derby’s Sansovino, who won the Derby at Epsom this year. Lord Derby fairly won the hearts of the French when he filled the post of British Ambassador Extraordinary to their country from 1918 to 1920. The fact of the Grand Prix de Paris being run on a Sunday has proved a stumbling-block on many occasions to English sportsmen sending their horses across the Channel to compete. How a Scotchman met the situation for racing his horse on Sunday in a race across the Channel is recorded by “Thonnanby,” as follows: — “On one occasion a rumour had gone abroad among the Falkirk people that the late Mr James Merry, who at the time represented that constituency in the House of Commons, had allowed one of his racehorses to run in a race on the Sabbath on the Continent, and it was solemnly determined that he should be called upon for an explanation of such Godless conduct. The day arrived. The largest hall was crowded. The ‘meenister’ himself put the question. Mr Merry rose to answer. ‘lt is quite true,’ he said, ‘that, having sent a horse of mine to the Continent, I did so far forget myself as to conform to the customs of the country in which I was allow him to start for an important prize on the - Sabbath Day.’ (‘Oh, oh!’ and loud groans all over the place). ‘But, gentlemen, I must add that before I thought about the day on which the race was to be run I had backed my horse very heavily with the French, and I won their money and brought it back to spend in auld Scotland.’ And straightaway all true Scots in that room felt their hearts touched, and waving their bonnets exultantly over their heads, the assembly joined in three cheers foT the canny member and then dispersed, singing ‘Auld Lang Syne!’” RESULT OF GERMAN DERBY Received June 30, 5.5 p.m. BERLIN, June 29. The German Derby, run at Hamburg, resulted:—Anmarsch 1, Ostrea 2, Hornbori 3.