DERBY DAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 59, 1 June 1927, Page 6

DERBY DAY

WORLD FAMOUS RACE RUN THIS AFTERNOON WILL THE EAVOURITE WIN? THE English Derby is without doubt the most important race in the world. It is to be decided this afternoon at the famous Epsom course, and even as tired Aucklanders are leaving their offices and businesses for the day the longtrek from London to Epsom will be in full train. Getting- to the racecourse from the “Big Smoke” is in itself a rare feat.

To-day’s face —which, by the way, is to be decided at about 2.30 p.m. tomorrow by New* Zealand time —bears a very open appearance. When the last mail left England, Call Boy and Sickle were joint favourites, a few points shorter than Adam’s Apple and Hot Night. The result will come to hand to-morrow morning, and it will probably be learned then that Call Boy started actual favourite. THE NEW STAND The new grandstand at Epsom will be finished in time for the Derby. The old stand accommodated 6.000 pec pie; this new one, which will be the biggest stand on any racecourse in Europe, will hold 20,000 with ease. The Royal apartments, the jockeys’ dressing rooms, Jockey Club luncheon rooms (accommodation for 2,000 club members), the large weighing-in paddock, as well as the open stand, with room for 5,000 people, are all completed. DONOGHLfE’S LUCK Having already won the race half a dozen times in the last 12 years, it will be interesting to see if Steve

Donoghue will pilot the winner of the 1927 Derby. The horses he has already scored on were Pommern (sire of Tonbridge, now standing at Wanganui), in 1915, this marking his first victory in the rich classic; Gay Crusader, in 1917; Humorist, in 192 J; Captain Cuttle, in 1922; Papyrus, in 1923 (completing the hat trick); and Manna last year. ft is a phenomenal record for such a race, and therefore it is not to be wondered that Steve Donoghue is credited with possessing an almost uncanny knowledge of the Derby course. Some time ago it was announced that Donoghue would ride Bold Archer today, but recently a nimcur prevailed that he was not satisfied with his pick, and was anxious to change. THE KING’S BOLT Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles paid a visit to headquarters at Newmarket last month, and watched W. R. Jarvis’s horses at their work. Princess Mary and Viscount Lascellcs were especially interested in his Majesty’s Derby candidate, St. Sylvestre, who was given a good stripped gallop'over a mile and a-quarter, accompanied by Bowood and Taka San. St. Sylvestre had nor then run in public. He is a grey colt by Nouvel An—Yolande, the dam of the Grand Prix winner Filibert de Savoie, who was favourite for the Ascot Gold Cup in 1924, and was only beaten a short head by another French horse, Massine. Among the horses that finished behind him was the Derby winner Papyrus. Yolande is also the dam of Idolo di Savoia, who won the Liverpool Hurdle recently. NAME NO BAR “A good colt with a beastly name. As a candidate for Derby honours he is sadly handicapped, because very few horses with silly names have won the great Epsom classic.” Thus a writer in the 1926 volume of the “Bloodstock Breeders’ Review” in his comments on Adam s Apple, who recently won the Two Thousand Guineas, and is a strong fancy for the English Derby.

Certainly Adam’s Apple’s name was not derived from his pedigree, but although something more appropriate could be wished for, it has not affected his galloping ability, and maybe “the colt with the beastly name” will go down in history as the champion three-year-old of 1927. HARKING BACK

In the Two-year-old Free Handicap Adam’s Apple and Fickle (who finished third in the Two Thousand Guineas) were ranked inferior only to The Satrap and Damon, though according to one critic Apple was rated much too highly. That opinion was expressed after Treat gave him 41b and an easy beating in the Criterion Stakes, and it was based on the fact that Treat was awarded 131 b less than the Two Thousand Guineas winner in the Free Handicap. However, there was an excuse for Adam’s Apple’s defeat. On his return to the paddock he appeared to be partially paralysed in his Hindquarters, and the trainer, Cottrill, called the attention of the stewards to the colt’s condition. DAM NOT TRAINED Mount Whistle, the dam of Adam’s Apple, was not trained owing to the war, and it is interesting to mention that the dam of Australia’s champion two-year-old, Royal Feast, never raced. Mount Whistle was bought at a bargain price. Offered for sale, in foal to Pommcrn (the resultant progeny of which mating was 4dam’s Apple), she was sold to Mrs. Sofer Whitburn for 860 guineas. The Two Thousand Guineas winner races in the name of Mr. Whitburn. RIDDLE OF CLASSICS Writing on the ex'e of the first of the English classics, the special commissioner of “Sporting life” makes the following comments: “Rarely, if ever, has the three-year-ohl situation appeared to complex as it does at present. Soon the first of the classics will be decided. Yet it is difficult to see where the winner is likely to come from. Take a look at the probable runners that have been seen in public, and at the same time note how they are bred. Sickle was tlie first to appear, and he did not impress me in his race at Liverpool, as he seemed to try and win it twice and lose it the third time. There are many who would ascribe this to bad jockey ship, but I think it would be more correct to put it down to his breeding, which is similar to that of Colorado and Warden of the Marches, both of whom were by Phalaris out of Chaucer mares, and neither of whom could get much over a mile in a fast-run race. Sickle’s best distance will be about seven furlongs, and I shall be very surprised to find him among the first three in the ‘Guineas’.” NOT A STAYER Bold Archer need only be mentioned to be dismissed. Excuses were made ! for his running in the Middle Park Stakes last back-end, but excuses do not win races, and, as I wrote then, this half-brother to Papyrus does not stay. “By Tracery” and “by Phalaris” are two very different things, and in the instance the difference is obvious. What of Atty Persse’s trio? Fourth Hand ran a great race in the Greenham Plate, giving the winner and the second 131 b. apiece; Damon gave one of the gamest displays possible in the Severals Stakes last week, giving weight to everything else in the event, and Treat ran a lot better than bis performance reads on paper in the Brandon Handicap.

All three are grandsons of The Tetrarch, and though this may seem a detriment in the eyes of some enthusiasts both Damon and Treat look to me like stayers, especially the latter, who is out of Dinner, a daughter of Pernelle, by Persimmon. Damon will be the most forward for the “Guineas,” but more will be heard of Treat as Doncaster comes along. He is a great, big, overgrown colt that wants time. A HORSE ALL OVER

Another grandson of The Tetrarch that I like is Prestissimo, who is one of the few sons of Caligula that there are in the country. He is out of Double Quick, a mare by Bachelor’s Double out of Action, a daughter of Tarporley. He ran very well in the Greenhatn Plate, is all the better for his race, and looks from tip to toe a “classic” Tiorse. The hero of the Craven meeting was undoubtedly Applecross, who gave a grand display in the Craven Stakes, only going down to Tattoo, who was receiving 191 b., by a couple of lengths. He is a full-brother to Hurry Off, by Hurry On out of Edna, a half-sister to Polycrates, and goes back in tail female to Egl.entyne, the fourth dam of The Tetrarch.

This completes the review of those that we have seen. Call Boy, Money Maker, Shian Mor, Hot Night and others have still to appear, and may not do so until the “Guineas” itself. 1 am a great believer in a gallop In public to open horses out prior to a big event, and for this reason think that when the time comes I shall side with Applecross and Prestissimo, expecting the danger to come from Donoghue’s mount. Money Maker. PRAISE FOR HOT NIGHT During the Craven Meeting I took the opportunity to accept a longstanding invitation to do evening stables at Fitzroy House, where Mr. ■J. H. Crawford trains Sir Victor Sassoon’s horses. Naturally, the chief interest lay in seeing Hot Night and Prestissimo, and the “classic” fillies. Fete, Caption, Rosalia, and Painted Beauty. Hot Night has filled a lot during the winter. Last season he was inclined to be leggy, but now has thickened up and is a lovely colt to look at. Prestissimo I have mentioned. This colt is all over a good one, that looks the part and is bred to win a big race. Then came the fillies. Fete was the first I saw. In her box she is very good-looking, but I cannot forget the hind action she displayed last week, and must leave her alone pending im : provement. The next was Rosalia, a big raking chestnut filly by Phalaris out of Ros- ? marin, a St. Frusquin mare that was out of Rose of Ayrshire, by Ayrshire. Caption, a grey filly by Tetratema

out of Cadisto, by Sunstar out of Greenbird, by Gallilule. is also Hulton bred, and fetched 4,600 guineas at the sale. She is nicely put together, with plenty of room, good shoulders and quarters, and can only just be faulted on her front. Here she stands over a bit, but good horses have had the same fault, and it is far better th in standing back. Painted Beauty is a charming filly. By Gay Crusader or Gainsborough, she is out of Mary Machree, by Desmond out of Vain Duchess, by Isinglass.