FILLY WITH PENALTY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 141, 11 December 1929, Page 10

FILLY WITH PENALTY

CAMBRIDGESHIRE HEROINE

(From "The Post*" Representative.) LONDON, Ist November, A ■woman owner, Lady Zia Wernher daughter of the late Grand Duke Michael of Russia, won the Cambridgeshire on 30th October with her three-year-old filly Double Life, after a thrilling combat with two French horses—"Vatout (Captain J. D. Colin) and Palais Royal 11. (M. Jaques Wittouck). The field for the event numbered thirty-six, and was the biggest for over fifty years. Only twice previously, in 1005 and 1927, has this important race been won by a lady owner. Double Life, who has won four races in succession, was bought by Lady Wern" her as a yearling for GOO guineas. The filly was bred by J. Dines, the jockey, and Dr. Russell Ryan, who bought1 the dam of. Double Life, Saint Joan, for only 34 guineas. The filly had incurred a 101b penalty by winning the valuable Duke of York Handicap at Kempton Park. Only three times before has the Cambridgeshire been won by a horse which had incurred a penalty for winning this handicap. It was one of the heaviest betting races for some years. There was a largo contingent from France and Belgium. It was a very close finish. Lady Wernher did not lead in the winner, but stood at the door of the weighingroom. One of the first to congratulate her was Lord Lonsdale. After the race she snid: "While I did not expect to win, I admit that I was very hopeful. It is a wonderful achievement to win the Duke of York Handicap and then to go on and win the Cambridgeshire." Vatout represented French classic form, having won the Two Thousand Guineas, and Palais Royal 11. won the Cambridgeshire last year. Double" Life was not among, the favourites because of her penalty. She just snatched the narrowest of victories from the "long-shot" Vatout, about -whom very few writers seemed to know anything. The judge's decision was a ease of necks and heads. The Cambridgeshire is a handicap of one mile and one furlong. The time taken was lmin 52scc. Captain Eric Rickman, in the "Daily Mail," gives a neat summary of the event. He says:— Vatout led out of the Dip, but was challenged immediately by Six Wheeler (Mr. H. Clayton). For a stride or two the latter promised to head ■ the French horse, and it was when Six Wheeler weakened that Vatout seemed to have the race in hand. Palais Royal 11. and Double Life both challenged late, but the little chestnut filly just got there in time. It was only in the last three strides that she pushed her head in front. As Yosemite had finished third, a little more than two lengths behind Double Life, at Kempton, and was meeting her again upon nib better terms, there was good reason to think that Lord Derby's five-year-old would beat her on this occasion. He appeared, too, to have the beating of Ghest Train (Lord Woolavington), judged upon the Kempton running, so that as he failed to do better than finish seventh or eighth we may be sure that he did not show his best form. Ghost Train was identified easily as one of the early leaders, and he was "there" all the way, finishing fourth. Caballero (Mrs. H. E. Steel), as usual, was prominent until his stamina was exhausted. He was probably m the first four for seven furlongs Roigrey (Sir E. Tate) ran well for the same distance, and Welcome Gift (Mrs. C. Rich) was another which failed to stay after holding a good place for the greater part of the journey. Songp (Lord Michelham) shadowed Ghost Train for nearly a mile, but was unable to improve his position when called upon. Athford (Mr. W. Barnett, owner of Trigo, the Derby winner) was always behind Caballero. The MaeNab (Lew Dewar), having lost his temperature, was well placed for six or seven furlongs on the favourable Stands side, but Masked Bandit (Mr. A. K. Macomber) was never dangerous. Major Wernher, the husband of Double Life's owner, owns Brown Jack, who ran thud in the Cesarewitch. Saint Joan, the dam of Double Life, was sent to India when in training by Mr. E. B. Davison. She won two races there, and upon her return to this country she was resold to her breeder, Dr. Russell Ryan.

Vatout was bought as a two-year-old out of a selling race by Captain Colin, and won for him the French Two Thousand Guineas this season. Captain Cohn also ran Slipper in the Newmarket race. Newton, his trainer, thought that Vatout had the better chance, but was afraid that he had a little too much weight Neither Double Life nor Palais 11. was well drawn, and they worked their way across to the lower ground before challenging. Six Wheeler was drawn No. 33— worse even than Double Life, who was 27 One of the "also rans" was Mr Bovd Davis's Ecilath.