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:t GALLANT IRISH RACE HOKSE VELOCITY S THIS SEASONS IDOL OF THE BRITISH RACING PUBLIC. Genuine Cup Horse for Weights and Distances In France After the Rich Municipal Prize of 0,000. The .equine hero of Great Britain in these days of ours is the Irish horse. Velocity, five years old, by Speed Ballast, by Balliol. Ho is hailed as one of the genuine old-fashioned cup horses of which the British turf is deficient, and seems to deserve the title. " Velocity is just now in France, and is relied upon to win the rich Prix du Consul Municipal, at one and one-half miles, and worth about 0,000, In which lie will meet the best of tlie continental distance horses next Sunday. It isnt any wonder that the English racing folks admire Velocity. He lias been a great horse for two seasons. He was able to run second in the Irish Derby and win the Cambridgeshire as a three-year-old in 1905, but was not much as a two-year-old in 1904. As a four-year-old in 1900 Velocity was a good horse, running sixteen races and winning six of them and 4,9S5. He was unplaced in tlie City and Suburban, second in the Liverpool and Chesterfield Cups, and won the Doncaster Cup under 130 pounds. But this year Velocity lias done his greatest deeds. After being nowhere in the Lincolnshire Handicap "at one mile, he was fourth and coming in the Kempton Park Jubilee. He lost no more, but has won the Chesterfield Cup, ,735, one and one-quarter miles, at Goodwood, under 13G pounds; .the City and Suburban Handicap, ,375, one and one-quarter miles, at Epsom, with 12S pounds up; the Grand Prize, C,070, one and three-eighths miles, at Osteud, Belgium, under 130 pounds, and the Doncaster Cup, ,950, two miles, under 141 pounds. This is a cup horses work to a certainty. Tlie summary of Velocitys racing is shown below: Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1904 . 240022 20 1905 3 12 2 2 2 C S.STT. 190G 4 10 0 4 0 C 24.9S5 1907 5 G 4 0 0 2 42,020 Total 4 3S 12 G 4 10 0,500. Velocity is owned by a nice Irishwoman, Mrs. H. V. Jackson, and has been ridden in all his 190G and 1907 victories by H. Jones, King Edwards jockey. "Before tlie Doncaster race," says Sporting Life, "nobody had seriously regarded Velocity as a cup horse, for his victory at Doncaster last year was. largely assisted by the curious tactics pursued, by tlie tried stayers, who dawdled about and made a half-mile race of it. This year, however, the Irish man had to tackle our acknowledged cup champioij. The White Knight, Bridge of Canny, who at the moment is at tlie top of his form, and the winner of the Chester Cup, Querido. The pace this year was good throughout, and while conceding that The White Knight was going better at the finish than at any other time, Velocity won in splendid style, his performance evoking the heartiest of cheering. Those connected with hint were sanguine of success, and backed him accordingly." Velocity went to the post at 7 to 1, The White Knight being the G to 4 on favorite. D. Maher rode Velocity in the 190G Doncaster Cup race, and was credited with great acumen in bringing tlie Irish horse through at the right time for a sprint to win a dawdling race. Oddly enough, Maher was second to Velocity in this years race with Lord Derbys Bridge of Canny, the second betting choice at 0 to 1. Velocity was a yearling bargain. He was bought for 90 in Ireland. Mr. Hubert Gairdner of Croghan House, Birr, was the first to have his eye upon him, and he approached Mr. J. W. Corcoran, his breeder, with a view to purchasing, and the deal was as good as made. Then a "liver" was in dispute, and Mr. II. V. Jackson, stepping in, cap-- tured the son of Speed at the above-mentioned sum. Mr. Gairdner is too good a sportsman to afterwards bemoan his luck. Instead, he resolved to become possessed of the colts dam. His opportunity came after Velocitys City and Suburban victory, and for ,000 secured Ballast and her filly foal own sister to Velocity and was rewarded by making a handsome profit on his transaction, selling Ballast with a foal by Speed, and therefore a sister to Velocity, for 1,500. Mr. Gairdner journeyed from tlie Sale Paddocks to the Town Moor, where he heartily cheered Velocity home. The day after Velocity won the Ostcnd Grand Prize, July 7, so impressed was Mr. Dreyfus, one of the leading continental owners, with the horse, that he offered Mrs. Jackson 5,000 for him. The offer was declined. Velocity lias always been trained by P. Peebles at Upavon.
