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Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 53

mon, Spearmint, Flying Fox. In regard to the merits of Galopin, the late William Allison Special Commis Bioner ”) quoted John- Dawson (trainer of both) as saying that “He.knew how good Petrarch was, but he had never been able to find out what Galopin’s limit was.” He estimated Galopin to be at least 171 b better than Petrarch! Dawson reckoned Galopin as good as his. illustrious son St. Simon. Probably the best horses to race in England during the past 20 years or so were Bayardo, Sunstar, Gay Crusader, Gainsborough, Hurry On, Papyrus, Swynford, Buchan, The Tetrarch, Prince’ Palatine, Golden Myth, Tracery, Lemberg, Solario, FairWay, Coranach, Black Jester, and Inver - Shin, who was certainly a great stayer. PIKE AS ’PLANE. The world moves, but it is a trite saying (says Banjo Patterson) that some of us move faster than others. New ideas and new theories are constantly introduced, even into the somewhat stereotyped business of racing. For instance, we have had the figure theory and the heart theory, and now we have a new one—the aeroplane theory. This theory relates to jockeyship, and is put forward by an amateur aviator, who mixes punting with tail-spins and nose-dives. Briefly put, his theory js that Pike’s wonderful success in the saddle is due to his adoption of-the principle of the aeroplane. “You Watch Pike ride,” he said, “ and you will Jiotice that he does not sit like the other riders; he holds his body well clear of the saddle and well clear of the horse's neck, and he keeps his back quite flat and parallel with the ground. Well, what’s the result? As he goes along the wind gets under his body and tends to lift him off the saddle; the faster he goes the less he weighs, and if he could only go fast enough he would weigh nothing at all.” A somewhat cynical suggestion was made that if Pike could only go fast enough he might even life the horse off the ground; the theorist, being of a literal turn of mind, did not see any sarcasm in the remark. “ Tell me this,” he said. " What makes a three-ton aeroplane with 15 passengers in it rise off the ground? Nothing but the pressure of the air under the upper wing of the machine, and if the pressure of air will _ lift all that Weight, why shouldn’t it life a jockey’s body?” Not having Kingsford Smith at hand as an authority, it was somewhat difficult to combat this novel explanation of ; Pike’s success in the saddle. But if the. aeroplane theory should ever meet with popular acceptance it might be necessary to tie the legs of the lighter boys under the saddle, lest they should disappear altogether.

A RECORD WINNER. Next to St. Simon and Ormonde, the bay horse Isinglass must be regarded as one of the giants of the English turf subsequent to the days of Eclipse and Flying Childers. In all he started in 12 races and won 11, his only defeat being in the Lancashire Plate at three years, when conceding 101 b to Raeburn, also a three-year-old colt. The subject of this sketch (says "Musket,”) was by Isonomy from Deadlock, by Wenloek, and was bred by his owner, Mr M’Calmont, whose horses were under the capable management of Captain Maehell. Isinglass was bred in circumstances which might be termed romantic, for it was really the Duchess of Montrose who was indirectly responsible for his being fdaled. The dam, Deadlock, one of the many excellent daughters of Wenloek, originally belonged to Lord Alington. Captain Maehell took a fancy to her, and bought her for 20 sovereigns, one of which was returned “ for luck.” Subsequently Captain Maehell disposed of Deadlock, together with several brood mares, and for some time all efforts to locate her and buy her back proved futile. One morning, however, the captain was discussing with the late Duchess of Montrose some questions as to the mating of Isonomy, and finding that Wenloek mares suited Isonomy he set to work to get Deadlock back. Later a farmer came to arrange for a service of a mare to a cart stallion. He was in a light cart, and the animal in the shafts struck the captain as being an old friend, and he was not long in recognising Deadlock. For the exchange of a eolt by the cart stallion the captain once more secured the mare. She was then put to Isonomy, and the following year was sold to Mr M'Calmont with a foal at foot for £5OO. In 1889 he new owner sent her back again to Isonomy, and the produce was Isinglass. The colt made his first appearance on a racecourse at the Newmarket Second Spring meeting in a Maiden Two-year-old Plate, which he won. At Ascot Isinglass easily won the New Stakes, for which Ravensbury finished third. In the course of the next two years these horses opposed each other no fewer than seven times, and in every case Isinglass was the victor. In the autumn Isinglass won the Middle Park Plate, Ravensbury being eecond this time.

At three years Isinglass won the Two Thousand, Derby, and St. Leger, and then suffered his only defeat, as already stated, in the Lancashire Plate. The following year he won the three £lO,OOO races—the Prince of Wales’, the Eclipse and the Jockey Club Stakes. In the first of these he met the then unbeaten Ladas, who a month previously had won the _ Derby. On Ladas speculators freely laid odds, but he finished third. The candidate who gave Isinglass trouble Was the Duke of Westminster’s Bullingdon, who was receiving 181 b, and was beaten only a head after a hard race over the last half-mile. In the Eclipse Stakes Isinglass easily beat Ladas a length, with Ravensbury third; and in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket he had an easy task. At five years Isinglass made his final appearance in the Ascot Gold Cup, his only race that season, and he had no difficulty in beating Reminder and Kilsallaghan. This victory raised his winning total to £57,455, and to this day it stands as an English record, for it is £2300 10s more than the amount standing to the credit of Donovan, who, however, won his £55,154 10s in the course of two seasons, whereas Isinglass took four to amass his aggregate. At the stud Isinglass did not sire a Derby winner, but two of his daughters <—Cherry Lass and Glass Doll—are hcro-

ines of the Oaks. As a racehorse, however, he is entitled to rank as one of the greatest in the history of the English turf.