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FRESH ENGLISH NEWS AND COMMENT. Jockey Engagements for Next Year-Fore-cast of Derby and Oaks of 1908. London, December 10. In the way of engagements for next year, Maher rides again for Lord Derby and Stanley House, with a second call to- Lord lloscbery. Higgs, who, as in 1900, heads the list, goes on with Mr. J. C. Sullivan and then the Bcck-.lamp.ton Stable, and Halsey remains first jockey to air Ernest Cassel, as does Bernard Dillon for the Clarehaven Lodge Stable. William Griggs, who :-as gone o India for the winter, will have Sir Robert Jardine for his first master, and then be claimed by John Dawsons stable, and it is quite likely Lord Carnarvon" will have first call on that xcellent jockey. II. Bandall, next year. Trigg lias been engaged for the Manton Stable, and vitli Lynham going to France, as I announced before any other writer, Mr. W. Hall Walker las taken the Australian, Hewitt, as his jockey. Iorny Cannon, who still shows his old brilliancy when riding anything that has a chance, will, 1 presume, continue to ride for Lord Howard de Walden, and Sir Ernest Cochrane has secured F. Hunter as his jockey in 1008. Warren Hill, the keen critic of the Sporting Life, in sizing up the candidates for the Derby of 190S, writes: "It seems to me that our strongest hopes rest in Perrier, hi majestys remarkably line colt by Pcr-liuimon Amphora. All through ills youthful days ie was like a great bullock in bone and girth, and .vhen Marsh began to work him in earnest it required an enormous amount to make the slightest mpression on him. Five furlongs, six furlongs, miles and even a mile and a half was what the fellow required, and yet he almost refused to confe on, and was always a great backward baby. He is -not handsome, but big and strong, and always in all his paces a fine mover. The way he ran his race out for the Dewhnrst Plate when only half trained, was a tremendous point in favor of his making a great horse. If he does well he may improve from a stone to twenty-one pounds beyond the normal, and then he would win the Derby. If we win it next year, indeed, he should be the hero, and opponents I have greatest fear of arc Mountain Apple, Boyal Bealm and the Kingsclere .best. "Perrier. Mountain Apple and Boyal Realm are ill by Persimmon, and If anything beats them they will have to be good." In comment on the Oaks the. same critic opines that "as matters stand I should reckon Lesbla and French Partridge more likely to stay the Derby course than Ardentrive, Araminta or Galore, whilst this year Little Goose was well behind Lesbia. and tho chief danger at present appears to be Bhodora. whiclii must be a real good one." Colonel E. W. Balrdr is the only owner who can boast the distinction of having won the-St. Lcgcr and the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, which latter feat was accomplished when Playfair, which was trained for him by Tom Cannon at Stock-bridge, took the prize in 1S88. His Majesty, however, lias beaten that fine record into fits, for, as Prince of Wales, he In 1000 won the Grand National with Ambush II. and the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and St. Legcr with Diamond Jubilee. Sceptre was beaten on twelve occasions as a two-year-old once, in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster won by Game Chick; as a three-year-old six times, in the Lincolnshire Handicap won by St. Maclou, the Derby won by Ard Patrick, the Grand Prize of Paris won by Kizil Kourgan, the Coronation Stakes at Ascot won by Doctrine, Sussex Stakes at Goodwood won by Boyal Lancer, and the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster won by Elba: as a four-year-old twice, In the Lincolnshire Handicap won by Over Norton and the Eclipse Stakes won by Ard Patrick: as a five-year-old three times. In tbe Coronation Cup at Epsom won by Zinfandel. and in the Gold Cup won by Throw-away and Hardwicke Stakes won by Rock Sand, at Ascot. Lord Coventry states that in his opinion there is no country equal to Ireland for the purpose of breeding horses. His lordship attributes the superiority of Irish horses to the suitability of the climate for growing horses and the good quality of the grass. As no mans views in this direction are entitled to more respect, or likely to carry greater weight than Lord Coventrys are. the expression of opinion quoted above is naturally intensely gratifying to the Irish breeding interests. It is understood that Dinneford is on offer to the German government. The horse was not submitted with "Mr. Beid Walkers lot for sale at Newmarket. Famous old St. Simon Is remarkably well and wonderfully full of fire and go, although he will be twenty-seven years old in less than a -month. Danny -Maher is staying with George Williamson, the well-known cross-country rider at Nottingham, and is spending his holiday hunting with Lord Harringtons pack. A letter just received from Austria states that all nominations to Wombwell for next season have been eagerly taken up. and many breeders in the dual monarchy think the son of Isinglass a better looking horse than Slieve Gallion. Wombwell. it will be remembered, was sold recently by the Duke of Portland to theBaltazzl Stud.
