THE LATE KING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 387, 12 May 1910, Page 7

THE LATE KING

AS A SPORTSMAN. THE KING AS A SPORTSMAN. INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. The first to carry the Royal jacket was an aged gelding called Champion, running in the 10th Hussars Regimental Challenge Cup, on March 31st, 1871. This meeting was held under National Hunt rules over a natural country course on Barn Down Farm, near Soufeial. The fixture was, as such events usually are, a very sporting affair; hut though the class was not good, "the Princes representative, who ran well, was not equal to disposing of the opposition and despite all the efforts of his rider, Captain Bulkeley, to make the appearance of the 'purple and scarlet sleeves on a racecourse a successful one, Champion could only finish second in a field of six to Lord .Valentia's horse, Wellington." . , The first time tha* his Majesty was represented in races run under the Rules of Racing was not an altogether auspicious occasion. It was m 187/, at the July meeting, when the Royal colore were carried on a purebred Arab called Alep, trained for his engagement by Mr. Fothergill Rowlands at Epsom. The race in which Alep took part was a match over the Beacon course (four miles) for 500'sovs., a side between H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and Lord Strathnairn, who was represented by a «rey horse, a half-bred Arab called Avowal. The result was a complete triumph for the English strains of blood over the Arab, for whereas Avowal was technically described as a half-breed, he -was three parts English-bred, being by Confessor out of Rocket, who was by Artillery out of an Arab mare. The Prince's game little Arab-a purebred son of the desert never runs to sizewas completely outmatched by his opponent Whose advantage in stride—the half-bred being at least a hand and a half the higher of the two-enabled him to wait, and draw out in the last halfmile an easy winner. Not till nine years had elapsed from the time the Royal jacket mas first displayed at Southall were the colors carried first past the post. The initial victory was in April, 1880, when a horse called Leonidas won the Military Hunt Steeplechase at Aldershot. The winner, who was by Lord Clifden or Adventurer out of Annora, by Rataplan, and when through the heavy rain and mist he was seen coming along some distance from home with the race in hand, a most enthusiastic demonstration took place, the victory ■hem" easily gained by ten lengths. Mr. W. Hope Johnstone, who had the mouni, was thus the first jockey to wear the Royal colors as a winner. From time to time the Prince's representatives—always under National Hunt Rules—figured "as competitors at various meetings, I and, a couple of years later, Fairplay won the Household Brigade Cup at Sandown Park Grand Military Meeting. In 1884 his Royal Highness was represented in the Livernool Grand National for the first time by a horse called The Scot, by Blair Athol out of 'Colombia, own brother to Rob Roy, a prominent favorite for the Derby at a later date. The Scot was ridden by Fred Webb, a- well-known Newmarket trainer, who, eleven years previously, had achieved a signal triumph on Epsom Downs by riding Doncaster to victory in the Derby. The ride on The .Scot was not destined to ue so satisfactory as that on Mr. James Merry's outsider at^Epsom had been, for the Prince's representative came to grief at Beecher's Brook, and did not get the course. The occasion was, in other respects, by no means auspicious,, as in addition to the disappointment which the mishap to The Scot causes, <.riile the race was being run the sad news of the death of his brother, the late Duke of Albany, reached the Prince, who at once left the course and returned to town.

1 . His Majesty was represented on several subsequent occasions in the great steeplechase of the season, with the steeplechasers Hettie and Magic; hut it was not until 1900 that the greatest nriza of cross-country racing fell to his share. This, as all the world-or, at any rate all the sporting world—knows, was brought about by the good horse Ambush 11., who, sifter an unsuccessful effort in 1899,.succeeded in winning the time-honored steeplechase in 1900. In I 1886 the first victory under the Rules of Racing was accomplished by a horse m his Majesty's ownership, a filly called. Counterpane winning a small race .at Sandown Park. Another filly called Lady Peggy also won a race in that season, a madden plate at the Newmarket Houghton meeting. Thesie were the only successes achieved for some time, and, indeed, it 'was not until the decision had been arrived at to form a Royal breeding stud at Sandringham, and the idea had been carried into effect, that any real mark was made by his Majesty on the annals of the turf. The bedrock of the Sandringham stud was the brood mare Perdita 11., who was purchased from Mr. Berhcim for 900 sovs. Perdita 11. was a daughter of Hampton, and had performed with some success on the turf, her principal victory being the Liverpool Summer Cup of 1886, for which she ran a dead heat with Middlethorpe. From her his Majesty bred his two Derby-winners. Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee, besides Florizel 11. and Sandringliam. It was not until 1594 that the .produce of the stud really came, to the front. There had been of a minor kind with Pierette and Barracouta from time to time, but the first really good race won by ''the Prince,'' as he then was, 'was the St. James' Palace Stakes, at Ascot, in 1894, with Florizel 11. The last-named had made but little mark as a two-year-old, but came on to a wonderful extent between his first and second racing season, and besides the St. James' Palace Stakes already referred to, won four other races in his three-vear-old season. It was in the autumn of this year that Persimmon went up to Egerton House as a yearling. So well did he do, and such promise did tie give of racing merit, that quite early in his career hopes of Ins achieving the hiehest honors of the turt were entertained by his Royal owner and trainer. How completely were these fulfilled is a matter of not only turf, but national, history. Those who were pre : «ent at Epsom on that memorable afternoon when Persimmon "bore off the Derby" for "the Prince" will never forget the scene of enthusiasm. The year was a most successful one for the Roya! jacket. Thais won the One Thousand Guineas, while Persimmon added the St. Leer to his Derbv triumph, and. m addition, carried off the Jockey Club Stakes. The'customary set-back-which come-', for some inscrutable reason of the.-l;r.v

of average, to almost every owner after a very successful season, came after 1897, in which year the magnificent Per-1 simmon crowned his previous achieve-1 ments by a smashing victory in the Ascot Gold Cup. In 180!) Diamond Jubilee, foaled in the year from which he takes his name, ( came from Egerton House with the reputation of being well worthy of his close kinship with the mighty Persimmon. But a wayward temper, peculiar to the family, which both Florizel and Persimmon had at times given evidence of possessing, was very strongly developed in the young son of Perdita 11., who became a source of great disappointment, owing to his developing the "can but won't" feature in his disposition.) But patient and unremitting care onj the part of his trainer, Mr. Richard' Marsh, caused the colt to mend his manners in his three-year-old days, and enabled his trainer "to justify the high praise he had bestowed on the colt before he figured on the racecourse. Not only did Diamond Jubilee succeed in winning the three classic races, the Two Thousand, the Derby, and the St. Leger, but he also carried off the Newmarket Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes as well. To accomplish .such a record as this with a horse of his peculiar temperament is a feat of which Mr. Marsh had a right to be, and was, proud of. His Majesty's more recent achievements on the turf are still fresh in the public mind. The enthusiasm which greeted the victory of his nominee, Minoru, last Derby Day, was said to have been most spectacular in its intensity, land only last week his filly, Witch of the Air, carried off the Spring Plate at the Kempton meeting.