THE KING’S CONNECTION WITH THE TURF.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 425, 26 May 1902, Page 4

THE KING’S CONNECTION WITH THE TURF.

Ilis Majesty's re entree to the turf after his acc-'fitiou took place at Kctnpton Park, where for the first time since the

reign of William IV. the colors of an English monarch wore borne in a race. Great triumphs for His Majesty as an owner only followed long after small beginnings. So casual and unambitious indeed were his early essays that he may almost be said to have drifted involuntarily into ownership on a large scale. His Majesty’s first race of any description was a modest effort at securing the regimental trophy of the 10th (Prince of Wales’s Own Royal) Hussars, a challenge cup run for at their steeplechase meeting near Hayes, in tho Windsor district, on March ill, 1671. In the aforementioned challenge cup in which His Majesty first displayed his colors they were worn by Captain Bulkeky on a hunter called Champion. Seductive name this, ringing true and confident, but, alas 1 the nag’s performance did not assort with it. He fell, which was an ignominious thing for a champion to do. Strive as he might after being remounted too, and the records credit him with making gallant efforts to repair his fault, ho had ultimately to put up with second place, Lord Valcntia’s Wellington being tho winner and Captain Wood his pilot. Six years elapsed before the royal colors were again on view.

It was at Newmarket, on the occasion of a sporting match between a Syrian horse of invincible prowess in his native land which His Majesty bad purchased at Cairo on his way home from India, and a humble specimen of the English thoroughbred called Avowal, and owned by Lord Strathnairn. So that she might witness this equine struggle between East and West tho present Queen paid her first visit to Newmarket. It proved a sadly unexciting affair, Alep being hoplessly outclassed. Leonidas 11. and Captain Wentworth Hopo-Johnstone were the principal actors in His Majesty’s first racing success, which was achieved in the Aldershot Cup one dripping afternoon at tho military headquarters in April, 1880. Both tho King and Queen were present, also other royalties and a crowd of fashionables. Of course everybody is familiar with the careers of tho two brothers; what a grand horse Persimmon was and what a funny one Diamond Jubilee was with his savage fits and his intolerance of certain jockeys, but not many know anything about Leonidas 11. He had a chequered history, from all accounts. Like Jearnes birth, his early life seems to havo been “ wrop in mistry,” but it is known that some little while before passing into royal ownership he was being alternatively schooled to carry 15st to hounds and driven in a cart. It was the misfortune of a comrade in arms that gave Captain “ Wenty ” Johnstone the mount on Leonidas 11. The

Into Major Dalbiac had been asked to ride him, but a broken collar bone upset the arrangement. Poor “ Treasure,” as his intimates called Dalbiae; if be lost this opportunity to distinguish himself in the service of his Prince he found a nobler in tho service of his Sovereign and his country, for he is one of many brave soldier sportsmen whose bones lie under tho veldt. A diamond and emerald horseshoe pin, the gift of tho Prince, is Captain Ilope-Johnstone’s treasured souvenir of this interesting occasion. “ What a! wet afternoon it was,” he writes. “ I had got drenched to the skin riding iu the race before, and as a preventive to the reins slipping I rubbed my bands with a mixture of sand and mud.” Concerning a similarly interesting event under Jockey Club rules, Sir George Cbetwynd in his gussipy reminiscences writes : —“ A very pleasant meeting took place at Sandown between Epsom and Ascot, 1886, and tho Prince of Wales scored bis first victory in fiat racing. It was only a maiden plate, and bis Royal Highness’ representative, Counterpane, bad odds of 7to 4 laid on her, tho op-

position being very weak. When Archer was seeu to be winning very easily in tho royal colors a mighty shout was raised from stands and rings. Tho. Prince was extremely pleased, and John Porter’s honest face beamed.”

There was a tag appended to this mention of the Kingsclore trainer which must have rankled at tho time, though in after years it could not fail to give him infinite amusoment. 11 Why,” Sir Gcorgo asks, “ does not Porter buy His Royal Highness some better brood mares '? At present they appear to be a sorry lot, and selected for no ascertainable reason.” It was after, although by no means in consequence of, this exhortation that Porter for a few hundreds purchased Perdita 11., and in this mare we have the founder of His Majesty’s racing fortunes. Porter 11 grasped tho skirts of happy chance ” indeed when he made this deal. Except for it there would have been no Florizol 11., no Persimmon, no Diamond Jubilee, consequently no Derbys for tho Prince as he then was. Perdita 11. died in 1899 full of

years and honors. Of tho trinity of celebrated sons, all brothers, who survive to perpetuate her fame as one of the greateet of equine matrons, the palm, both for excellence and money earned, belongs to Persimmon. A brass plate outside his box at Sandringham informs visitors that he won seven races of the total value of £34,706. Diamond Jubilee earned £29,185 10s. Florizol 11. was tho first of the trio and the least distinguished of them on the turf. His gains were insignificant, but at the stud he achieved instantaneous fame by siring in his first season last year’s Derby and St. Leger winners—Mr Whitney’s Volodyoski and Mr Leopold Rothschild's Doricles respectively. About £25,000 a year is now being earned by the brothers. Persimmon’s sharo of this is nearly half. It has been discussed whether, if submitted to auction, he would realise more than the Duke of Westminster’s Flying Fox, for whom M. E. Blanc paid 37,500 guineas out of his income from tho Monte Carlo gambling tables. 11 More than Flying Fox !” exclaims one

enthusiast, fresh from seeing Persimmon at Sandringham. “Why, ho is worth £100,000!”. Actually not ail the wealth of all tho Indies would buy him away from his proud , owner. Altogether His Majesty lias been racing in what may bo called earnest now for a dozen years. Many enthusiasts less fortunate have doubled and treb'ed th»t expend turo of

time in unavailing effort- to caplure one Derby, but in it His Majesty won tho

groat Epsom race twice, also two St. L gcrs, the One and Two Thousand Guineas, Ascot’s much coveted Gold Cup, the Manchester Cup, Grand National St' oplc-chase, and a host of minor priz s, tho whole exceeding in value £'100,0,10. Toe most suo.’Ossful year was 1900, when His Majesty wou £29,358. It is customary to speak of Persimmon's Derby as the Prince’s year.” Benlly, however, 1900 better merits that distinction, It is tiue there may not have been as to Diamond Jubilee the same delirious enthusiasm, the same utter abandonment to tho emotions of the moment, on the part of tho crowd, but it deserves none the less to go down to posterity as the real “ Prince’s year.” It was so both off and on the turf. It marked the epoch of his greatest splendor in racing, because Diamond Jubilee not only went one better than his distinguished brother in securing ihe “ triple crown ” —i.e., The Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and St. Leger—but Ambush 11. bore off the Grand National, which is to stecpiechasing what the Derby is to flat racing, and no other owner has ever won the t.vo 11 blue ribands ” in one year. v The Queen has also taken a share in this pleasure. Indeed, Diamond Jubilee, upon whom this name was bestowed by the

then Princess of Wales in commemoration of his being foaled in Jubilee year, is said to have been petted and pampered in his young days to a quite extraordinary extent by the ladies of Sandringham. Certainly the Princess always manifested the liveliest interest in his races. One she was especially desirous lie should win—the Princess of Wales -Stakes at New Market

—and she journeyed down expressly for the day in order to see him run, and, as it was hoped, win. To the disappointment of the Royal party, Mr Hall Walker’s Merry Gal trounced him severely.