ENGLISH SPORTING GOSSIP. RINGMASTER'S VICTORY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT). London, April 12.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 374, 5 June 1889, Page 3

ENGLISH SPORTING GOSSIP. RINGMASTER'S VICTORY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT). London, April 12.

That the Leicester Prince of Wales's Stakes of £12,000 (the richest race over known) should have been won by the Dulco of Portland — the wealthiest, bar tho Duke ot Westminster, of the two hundred odd subscribers — and that tho two "golden squires," Mr " Abington "Baird and Mr R. C. Vyner, should have run second and third, was surely eminently dolightful andappropriate, if just a wee bit aggravating. Not that Mr " Abington " made much out of the race, for the €750 second money will not even cover his forfeits. He is, however, better off than Mr Manton, whese forfeits on the race amountod to £900, and Mr Perkins, who, but for Chitabob's accident, must have made a bold bid for victory. Saturday afternoon was delightfully fine, and tho attendance at Leicester all that the executive could possibly expect. The Prince of Wales was chere, and so was His Grace of Portland, with his fianci'e and her mother. A bier Held of seventeen turned out to oppose Donovan, who, however, looked so superior in quality to anything else, save, perhaps, Gay Hampton and Pioneer, that hardly another animal was backed. The Ring fielded staunchly in the hope that Donovan, like his dam Mowerina and his sister Modwena, might fail to stay, but the weigh b of money told more and more as tho day progressed, and at the stait backers who wished to be on had to lay 7 to 4 oh tho crack. Mr Abington's Pioneer was supported for a heap of naoney at 6 to 1, and a little went on Gay Hampton at 10 to 1 ; Enthusiast at 100 to 7, and Royal Star at 33 to 1. Bar these 100 to 1 could be had. The place betting was unusually brisk with legard to Pioneer and Gay Hampton, 6 to 4on each being freely laid. Enthusiast was supported at 100 to 30, Royal Star at 6 to 1, and Minthe at 10 to 1. The story of the race is simple as ABC. St. Patrick and Napoleon (mistaken by many for Gay Hampton) made the running for three-quarters of a mile, when the favourite came through his horses with the race well in hand. Pioneer promptly challenged, and the pair shot right away from the rest of the field. Mr Abington's colt could never, however, get on terms with i,he Duke of Poibland's colt, who won in an easy canter by two lengths ; Minthe, four lengths away, just managing to deprive Enthusiast of the third place. The only other raco at Loicester 1 need mention is a six furlongs handicap worth 200sovs, in which the Australian - bred ] Ringmaster followed up his ignominious display at Lincoln by running a splendid race with Mr .E\elyn's Heptarchy and ten others, and winning in the gamest manner after coming twice bv a length. Tho horse was, of course, at once objected to, as he has not fulfilled the rule which obliges an animal born out of England to compete in, two weigh t-for-age races before running for a handicap, but for some reason or other the stewards over-ruled the objection. He is owned, apparently, by Mr J. E. Savill, and trained privately. I append particulars of the running : — Tin: Billosdex Handicap Pj. \tk, of 200sovp. ; winners, extra ; entrance, 5 ; guineas. 6 furlongs. Mr J. Savill's Ringmaster, by First King or Progress— Yardley. need, Bst 21b (Turner) 1 Mr Evelyn's br f Heptarchy, 3yrs, sst 41b C\;u lrn) .\ 2 Mr 11. E. ttodtlinpton's b f Molly Lepcl. 4yrs Bst Mb (T. Cannon.. i un.l . ..3 Mr W. Blade's Stourwick, aged, 9st 121bs (Watts) - . 0 Mr A. B. Sadler's Dolores, 4yrs, Bst 71bs (Rikaby) . ... 0 Wr J. Charlton's Low down, 6yrs, Bot 71b (Robinson) ... .0 Mr H. T. Barclay's Philtre,' 83yrs st 21b (Liddiard) .... .. .0 Mr W. Yonnger's Flower o' the May, 4yrs, 7st 121b (G. Rarrott) . .0 Lord Zetland's Pinzoh 3yrs. 7st 91b (S. Loatea) .. .. '.. 0 Mr J Davis 1 Primrose Daino, 4yrs, 7st 81b (J. Woodburn) . . . . . .0 Mr J. Collins" Sachet, 4yi-3, 7st 71b (T. Loates) .. '.. „ .. - 0 Mr T. Jennings jnn., Reform, 3yrs, 7st (AIL.OP) .. .... 0 Betting : b to 2 v Stonrwiek, 5 to 1 Mollcy Lepel. 7 to 1 Piuzon. 100 to 14 Dolores.' 100 to 8 \ each Lowdown, Flower o1o 1 the May, Primrose Dame, Sachet, and Heptarchy, and 20 to 1 Ringmaster, Philtre and Reform. ■Ringmaster, on the loft, jumped away with the lead from "Reform, Dolores, and Flowei 1 o' the May on the same 3ide, and they were followed on the right by Sachet, Heptarchy, and Pinzon, Philtre and Molly Lepel heading the others In climbing the hill Heptarchy singled herself out in pursuit of Ringmaster, and they were in turn challenged by Molly Lepel and Sachet, a good race home terminating in favour of Ringmaster by three-parts of a length, a head dividing second and third. Sachet was close up fourth. Phrlre fifth, Pinzon sixth, Reform seventh, Lowden eighth", and Flower o' the May and Dolores the last two. Cold, wet, miserable weather signalised the Craven Meeting at head-quarters this week. The Crawford Plnte, true to its traditions, fell to an outsider, Prince Soltykoffs jady filly Lone-in-Idleness (by MaskLucetta) defeating the favourite Aintree (penalised for its Liverpool success), Mr Abington's Master Bill, and nine others after 7i desperate race by a neck only. On Wednesday, the black and white jacket of his lucky Grace of Portland was carried three times to the front successfully out of four attempts. On two of these occasions, however, the stable had not sixpence on, the animals concei'ned having been beaten in their trials. The Column Stakes, for three-year-olds, was just an exercise gallop for the superb Melanion (by Hermit— Atalanta), who fully justified the plunging price of 4 to 1 laid on his beating Pantomime and three other moderate beasts. Tn a three-year-old Plate (over the ditch mile) the Duke introduced us to The Turcophone (by Galopin — Lady), who started at 100 to 8, and just beat Mr Rothchild's highly - bred Roswal (by Kisber — Hippa), Mr Abington's Maynooth running third. In the next race a two-year-old Plate over the last five furlongs of the Ditch Mile, His Grace won j with Elsie (by St. Simon, out of Larissa), who, etarting at 10 to 1 in field of 11, beat Lord Dudley's Beggar My Neighbour cleverly by a neck. The chief event of Wednesday, however, was the Balinham Plate of 600sovs, over the Rowley mile. For this a moderate field of nine faced the starter, old Exmoor (Bst 81b) and Theodore (Bsfc 81b) being equal favourites at 4 to 1, whilst 5 to 1 was laid Johnny Morgan, and 6 to 1 each King Monraouth (aged, Bst 121b), and the German Hortari (4yra, 7st 51b). The last-named animal won easily from King Monmouth, with Mr Tom Jennings's Father Confessor third. On Thursday in the Craven Stakes Gay Hampton showed very different form to what he did at Leicester, beating the highly tried Freemason (by Barcaldine — Gheimniss) after a punishing finish in which the latter swerved all over fche place, with Kushna third, and such as lddesleigh, Arquebus, and Zeno unplaced.