THE CLUBMAN

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1522, 26 June 1919, Page 8

THE CLUBMAN

Two months back the appointment of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as a member of the English Jockey Club was cabled to New Zealand. The event was celebrated by the members with acclamation. The twenty-sixth birthday of the popular young prince, who enters into the sports of the field with keen zest, was observed on Monday by the banks and other institutions. Boxing contests have received a good deal of attention from the Prince. Royalty is lending its countenance to sport in all branches. Our late King Edward was an example in that respect to those who have come after him.

The cables tell us of a brilliant revival of pre-war splendour at Ascot —Royal Ascot —races. The weather was beautiful, so runs the message and there was “a dazzling display of fashion, combined with a complete absence of khaki in the Royal enclosure,” and “a record crowd accorded the King and Queen a tremendous ovation.” No doubt their Royal Highnesses are immensely popular. The success achieved on Wednesday by His Majesty’s colt Viceroy (by The Tetrarch), a good but not quite a top-class three-year-old, m the Waterford Stakes, the King’s second successive win with the colt, and the unfurling also of the Royal colours on Jutland, a four-year-o’.d son of Marcovil, in a field of 26 in the Ascot Hunt Cup, would add to the interest greatly. Jutland, we are told, started an equal favourite at seven to one with the winner, Irish Elegance, who carried top weight (9.11), and made the running throughout, winning by a length and a-half from Arion, who beat Dansellion four lengths. Templeman was on the back of Irish Elegance. *

The Ascot Hunt Cup has been established a long time, dating back to 1843, and next to the Cambridgeshire is almost universally regarded as the most important handicap race run for in England. As good horses have been brought out for it year after year the interest has increased accordingly. Special mention of the weight carried by Irish Elegance is cabled no doubt because the impost is an exceptionally heavy one for the race, which is run over seven furlongs and 166 yards. It is of special interest to note this high-class performance on the part of Irish .Elegance, for the reason that he is by Sir Archibald, sire of Archiestown. who, with Day Comet, was imported by the combined racing clubs of the Waikato and is now located at Morrinsville, where he was used by settlers for stud purposes last season. Jut 1 and, it may be remarked, was not making his first appearance as indicated in the cable, but it was intended to convey that it was his first race this season. That would perhaps not be in his favour. He was a winner on three occasions last season, and, as a matter of fact, scored the same number of times as Irish Elegance had done, though not very strongly opposed. They, however, met 12 months ago at Newmarket in the Three-year-old Handicap, over seven furlongs, in a field of 28, and conceding him 61b. Irish Elegance beat him by four lengths.

If Irish Elegance added greatly to his reputation by winning the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot, it can be truly said of By Jingo, son of Aquascutum and Minnesota, that that horse has fairly set the seal on his fame by winning the great two miles and ahalf weight-forage race, the Ascot Gold Cup, a race established half a century back. The race run last week made the 46th in its history, four having been abandoned during the war period. A glance at the pages of the past bring prominently to mind the fact that some groat horses have won it. Isonomy, Prince Palatine and The White Knight won the race twice, at four and again at five years old. The Australian-bred Merman opened the new century with a win as an aged horse, and he and Bachelor’s Button (who won

six years later) are the only two of that age that have been successful. Four and five-year-olds have been the largest winners, probably because three-year-olds have not been so frequently set the task. St. Simon won at that age. We have been largely interested in the blood of quite a number of the winners through sons and grandsons. Mortemer, who won in 1871, was the sire of Apremont, who was from Araucaria, daughter of Pocahontas. Apremont was for many years in the Middle Park Stud in Canterbury. Doncaster, who won in 1875, sired St. Leger, who was in the New Zealand Stud and Pedigree Stock Company’s Stud at Sylvia Park and later at Wellington Park. Isonomy, who won in 1879 and 1880, sired Pilgrim’s Progress, who was in the stud of Mr. H. Friedlander at Ashburton. To Cyllene (1899) we are indebted for Hymettus, and St. Simon (1884) gave us Soult, Phoebus Apollo, Sarto and other sons and good grandsons, Demosthenes and Finland being notable ones. William the Third (1902) gave us Nassau, sire of Surveyor, whose dam was got by Buccaneer (1892). Marble Arch, is by Isinglass, who won in 1895, and is a

grandson of Isonomy. So are All Black and Solferino; indeed, quite a number of others could be mentioned. Persimmon, winner in 1897, enters largely into the blood of horses and mares we have, and we have now more of the St. Simon than of Musket through many sources.

In the race referred to above, Arion, who was a favourite for the Dincoinshire Handicap and who later on ran second to Royal Bucks in the City and Suburban Handicap, ran up to form and got second. Dansellon, a five-year-old by Chaucer, and who has been a good performer, finishing second last year in the Cambridgeshire Handicap, run over nine furlongs to Zinovia, with Irish Elegance third in a field of 22, was this time third, a position he occupied in the City and Suburban Handicap this year. The form of the good horses appears very consistent. Dansellon proved himself a good stayer last season, and Zinovia only beat him a head and was perhaps lucky to have won. In that race Arion finished fourth. Dansellon, it is interesting to note, is by the same sire as Arrowsmith, whose arrival in Auckland by the Port Pirie is expected this week. They too have met. This was in May of last year in the Burwell Plate, over a mile and a-half of the Cesarewitch course, when Dansellon, 4yrs., 9.4, won, Bay d’Or, syrs., a son of Bayardo, carrying 9.0, being second, and Sanctum, a good six-year-old horse, by Santoi, carrying 9.8, and

who has since gone to the stud, was third. Arrowsmith, a three-year-old, carrying 7.10, was fourth, Cattegat (7.13), a three-year-old half brother by Radium to Day Comet, being fifth. There were two others starters, and Dansellon won by a length, Sanctum being three lengths away.

As Arrowsmith is intended to race in New Zealand, it should be of interest to note each of his performances at three years old up to the time of his purchase by Mr. Hislop last year. He had, prior to the race just referred to, run fifth in a field of eight in the Craven Plate won by Benevente. Thermogene second and Poilu third, and at Manchester was third with 9.4 in a field of three, behind Brilliant Star (8.6) and East Cheshire (9.0), ninth in the New Derby won by Gainsborough, Blink second, Treclare third, King John, Somme Kiss, Zinovia, McNeill and Thermogene being those in front of him, Air Raid (recently sold for 4000 guineas), Mont Saint Eloi, Tricycle and Rivershore finishing behind him, the race being run in 2min. 33 l-ssec., one of the fastest Derbies ever run, that of Pommern (2min. 32 3-ssec.)

being the record. These races, however, were run at Newmarket and not at Epsom. In the Cambridgeshire Hunt Plate, in a field of 14, won by Irish Elegance, Arrowsmith was not in the first nine, but finished eighth\in the Silverley Handicap, one mile and a-half, carrying 7.6, to Prince Chimay (9.2), Jutland (8.7), fifth, being one that beat him, and Jutland was the favourite. In the Brandon Welter, in a field of 17, mostly of his own age, he was ninth. His two next essays were his last. In a Trial Selling Race, one mile, worth £196, in a field of 11, carrying 8.4, he was beaten four lengths by New Guinea (7.11), a son of Greenback, who won previous and also won afterwards, being bought in for 400 guineas. His last race was in the Norwich Handicap, over nine furlongs, in which he got beaten a neck, carrying 6.4, by Mintleaf (6.4), Aynsley, a five-year-old, who had just previously won the Newmarket October Handicap and who was second in the Manchester Cup to By Jingo, being third, with 8'.3, five lengths away. Though not a profitable colt to his owner, the late Mr. J. W. Darnach, it is, of course, possible that Arrowsmith may win in New Zealand, and his blood should make him a valuable horse for stud purposes. He now ranks as a four-year-old to English time. It is nearly nine months since he raced and was purchased on account of Mr. Hislop in England, and it has taken all these months to get him out to New Zealand. His

only win was a small stake at two years old at Newmarket on October 10, 1917. It is interesting to note here that Bowman, a full-brother to Arrowsmith, who won nearly £4OOO in stakes, has a lot of two-year-olds in England coming on as yet untried. They were bred by Arrowsmith’s late owner, Mr. J. W. Larnach.

It will be some time before racing is back to normal conditions in England, but there have already been indications to show that blood stock will be harder to get there unless the would-be purchasers have long purses and are prepared to loosen them. At Newmarket the last week in April, at a dispersal sale of horses in training the property of Mr. Louis Wimans, Planet, the five-year-old full brother to Day Comet, who had won a good many races and last year ran :By Jingo to a neck in the Manchester Cup, conceding him 91b. over the mile and a-half, and ran second, carrying 9.4, to Gainsborough (8.1) in the Manchester Gold Cup, two miles 24 yards, beating Dansellion (9.0) some lengths, was sold for 1300 guineas. . This shows that the blood is highly prized, and suggests that our Waikato friends were fortunate in securing such a horse as Day Comet when they did and at a reasonable cost. It may be pointed out that he brought considerably more than the highest price of any of the other lots save one. the four-year-old filly by Polymelus — Larkspur 11., which made 2000 guineas, the Duke of Westminster being mentioned after the sale as the purchaser. The “Special Commissioner” of the “Sportsman” said that Tabor’s purchase, Planet, .seemed cheap at 1300 guineas. Every one of the 22 lots offered were sold.

The Panther, who was beaten in the Derby somewhat ingloriously for a favourite, is a big three-year-old. estimated to stand between 16.1 and 16.2, and a very fine type of colt, though the hyper-critical would consider him a little wanting behind the saddle and a shade narrow. For several days towards the end of April he did practically nothing, and though he maintained his position as favourite, he was probably not standing up to the winding up tests as some Derby candidates have done in the past. Big and brilliant, he may want time to develop properly, though there was only one prominent writer who appeared to have any doubt concerning his prospects. The winner, Grand Parade, was in the same stable as several other Derby candidates, and was mentioned by one writer a week before as having played his part very well in a gallop with others engaged, though beaten. It was at a liberal price that Grand Parade stood in the quotations when the mail left before the race was decided.

Much was made of the fact that Mr. W. J. Ralph’s fine gelding El Gallo had won the double Great Northern Hurdle Race and Great Northern Steeplechase two years in succession and the double - double performance was certainly remarkable, the more especially as the two businesses, hurdle racing and steeplechasing, are not very often successfully. accomplished by one and the same horse at the same time. The Ellerslie country, as we have frequently observed, lends itself to good hurdle jumpers if they have had any previous experience of jumping fences. El Gallo had not, neither had Liberator when he won his first race over the pretty course. As a matter of fact neither had been schooled. Poethlyn’s feat of winning the Grand National twice and the Lancashire Handicap Steeplechase twice is a double-double unprecedented in England. The Manchester and Aintree steeplechase courses double-double of Poethlyn is likely to stand for many a long day. The same two races were won once by Eremon in 1907, and he carried much less weight in each than Poethlyn,