THE THREE YEAR OLDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1530, 25 April 1882, Page 4

THE THREE YEAR OLD S.

Last winter the batting on the great three-year old races&'&the year was tolerably brisk ; this season there is practically none. So limited, is the market that the investment of the merest trifle will bring a horse from an outside price to comparitively Bhort odds. The most doleful vaticinations were surpassed by the realities of last spring, when the Two Q-housand Guineas wa9 won by a horse Who* had never run as a two-year-old, and whose name only appeared in the Jjetting list six days days before the race, while- the winner of the Derby was hardly mentioned (and when he was remembered was mentioned only to be derided) until after the decision of the Two Thousand. Of the favourites of last winter Mr Crawfords St. Louis and Lord llosberry's Moor collapsed iv training, and there is eyery reason to believe that the former at least developed into a non-stayer, as also did Prince SlotykofFs Scobell ; but the latter proved a remunerative possession to his owner, as, although he had no chance in the great races for which he was heavily backed, yet he was good enough to win several valuable stakes, and except Iroquois, Thebais, and Foxhall (Mr Keene's horse was not enttred for any important three-year-old race oxcept the Grand Prix), he won a larger sum than any animal of the same age. Lord Falmouth's Bal Gal not only a confirmed roarer, but went " all to pieces," as also did Mr Chaplin's Wandering Nun ; and on what ground the latter was backed for thousands for the Newmarket race it is impossible to conjecture, as she was badly beaten in every one of the six races for which she started. Mr Legh's Sir Charles turned out to be the worst impostor which had been seen since his brother Sir Joseph brought confusion to the backers in Sef ton's year, .and Loi'd Falmoutli's Golden Plover performed so badly that when he met with a fatal accident shortly before the Derby the only regret was that it had not happened months before. The fact is that, literally, in every bet that was made last winter the bookmaker proved the winner ; so it is by no means strange that early betting on the Two Thousand and the Derby should for this season at least have ceased to exist, though no doubt there w ill be anothci 1 esurrection of the nuisance. The dearth of really good two-year-olds was one of the most remarkable features Of the autumn, racing at Newmarket. Never before had the October meetings been so barren of interest in this lespect, neither the Middle Park nor the Dowliurst Plates bringing out anything smait enough to throw down the idols of the summer when meeting them with all the best of the weights. Mr ity mill's Bruce, by See Saw— Carine, who was bought for 1100 guineas at the Maiden Park sale, won all the races for which he was staited last season ; but neither at Ascot, Eglium, nor Doncaster did he beat any tiling which bad shown fust-class form, and Sir N. Rothschild's Nellie, by Hermit — Hippia, who ran second to linn in the Criterion Stakes, was palpably and confessedly inferior to at le.ist tlnee other two-year-olds, and moreover was then meeting him with 41b the worst of the weights— no small cousidciation over this severe cour&e. 15i ucc is. now backed for the Derby at (i to 1 ; tcu day* ago these odd& weic accepted to 1000. There certainly is nothing in "Uuice's miming that would lead cool critics to estimate bis chance at so high a r.ito ; moreover, he is not a horse shaped to distinguish himself over the peculiar gradients at Epsom. The hope of his &uppoitcis seem to bo built on sand — for &o far his supui Litive excellence is like the pasteboard visor of Don Qmvotu's helmet— a thing taken as a matter of course, but not put to the test in a practical way Bruce has no engagement before the Derby ; he i& also in the Giand Prix and in the St. Leger. Loid Stamford's Cichcimness, by Rosicrucian — Nameless. was bought at Doncaster, at the sale of Mr Watson's yearlings, for 330 guineas, by Cannon, the jockey, who sold her early last summer to Lord Stamford. She has never been beaten ; but she, too, escaped an encounter with either of the other cracks — Whitechapcl (at Stockbridge) and Marden (at Lewes) being the best animals she defeated. But if the running of the latteu here and with Kcrmosse was correct, Lord Stamfoids filly was unquestionably the bo-.b of the &u.ison. Geheimniss has no engagement till the Oaks, and she will not ha\e a chance of meeting the best of tlio colts till the St. Lcgcr, Lord Roscbeiy's Kermesse, by Crcmorne — llazledean (a daughter of the famous Nutbush,) was bred by JSJr Chaplin; and her present owner may justly regard her with complacency as a brilliant pi oof of his good judgment, seeing that lie bought her when a, foal a few weeks old, having taken a strong fancy to her w lien staying at Eaton Hall in the spring of 1879. Kermesse was oidy beaten once last year, in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, when attempting to give 41b to Dutch Oven; it is said that she was then not quite up to the mark, and her subsequent running has confiinied the idea. Kermesse beat her Goodwood conqueror very easily in the Champagne Stakes, and subsequently won the Middle Park Plate, carrying the extieme penalty — a feat never before accomplished She i*> engaged iv the One Thousand awl Oak*. The breeding of Kermesse leads one to regard her three year-old piospects with considerable doubt, as neither her dam nor any descendents of Nt.tbu&h could ever stay ; moreover, her fot clegs wcie not calculated to inspire her friends with confidence. Lord "Falmnuth's Dutch Oven, who is half sister (by Dutch Skater) to Bal Gal, was some 51b behind Loid Rosberry's filly last season, when both were really well, and about as much in front of Nellie. She is engaged in both the Newmarket races and in the Derby and the Oaks ; but if it is tine that her wind has become affected —and there have been sinister reports ta that effect lately — she can have no chance at Epsom ; and remembering the tiagic story of Bal Gal's tliree-y«ar-old career, no rational being will trust her with a farthing for the Two Thousand until lit sees her fit and well at the post, In this race roaring is no impediment to success as nobody knows better than Lord Falmouth, who has an exr-llent second string for Epsom in Little Sister, by Galopin — Penitent, who was bied by Prince Batthyauy, and is one of the very few animals that have been pmchaacd by her owner at a yearling sale. She cost 200 guineas, and hist year won nearly £1100 in the two races which she carried off. She is not a filly likely to show her best form as a two-year-old, and she was not injudiciously hurried on and raced off her legs, as is too often the custom in these degenerate days, when the first object of sordid owners is to make money out of their animals as soon and as often as possible. She has improved very much during the winter, and seems likely to train into a very fine three-year-old. She is engaged in the One Thousand, Derby, and Oaks, and her omission from the, Two Thousand entry i\ ill doubtless induce Lord Falmouth to run in the Bjennial, Column, or Craven Stakes iv tjio first meeting at Newmarket. — Pall Mtfll Gazelle, February 3rd. - >A. farm of 224 acres in Berkshire, that was recently let at £230 is now let at £68. The j tithe— Bs per acre— is now more tJiW .the reut. ,