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; I ONE OF ENGLANDS GREAT RACERS GONE. Velocity, Twice Winner of the Doncaster Cup, Falls Dead While at Exercise. Velocity, possibly the best handicap horse of England since Aictor AVild. and the hero of two Don-caster Cups, dropped dead whilst at exercise on Saturday. October 3, at the Egerton House Stud, Newmarket, where he was standing for his first season at the stud. The cause of death was internal hemorrhage. Arelocily was a bay horse by Speed Ballast, bred by Mr. J. AV. Corcoran, a hotel keeper at Roscrea. in Ireland, from whom the horse was purchased by Mrs. H. A. Jackson for a nominal sum. He first ran at the Manchester September meeting in 1904. when he was among the unplaced division behind Amalgamation for the Lancaster Nursery. He ran in three subsequent races that season without, however, earning brackets. As a three-year-old the colt was very hardly worked, taking part in no fewer than twelve races during the season, and being indiscriminately run over all kinds of distances in Ireland, Scotland and England. His first race at three years old he won at The Curragh over one mile, and after being twice unplaced, failed by a length to give Flax Park seventeen pounds in the Irish Derby. Later at Ayr he was in a similar position to Powder j Puff, which gave the son of. Speed eight pounds and 1 a head beating for the Ayrshire Plate. It was in the Duke of York Stakes at Kempton Park, however, where English race-goers first had a glimpse of Are-locitys real capabilities, when, though by no means properly fit, he had won the race at a mile, and eventually finished a good third to Donnetta. whicli was conceding Mrs. Jacksons three-year-old twelve pounds. His prominent running at Sunbury immediately stamped him as a very likely winner of the Cambridgeshire, in which event he was weighted at ninety-four pounds. The colt was then under Pickerings charge at Newmarket, who set about preparing : his charge for the big event in the Houghton Week, with the result that Velocity started a very warm favorite and won in the hands of an apprentice. A. Templeman. from Santry, Dean Swift and other good ; animals, and incidentally landed a tremendous sum 1 in bets for his connections. As a four-year-old, Robinson had charge of the j horse for a short time and, after a failure in the Lincolnshire Handicap, he was put up for sale at Newmarket. No bid was made for him. the reserve of 5,000 it was understood Mrs. Jackson had placed on him being derided. Yet subsequent events , gave her the laugh on her critics. After several trainers had refused to have the horse, he found a home with Mr. Peebles, that gentleman stipulating j he should have full and tmcontrolled liberty with the horse. From that time Velocity gradually de-1 veloped his powers, till he became recognized as absolutely the best horse in training. His victories in 1900 included the Castle Irwell Handicap at Man? Chester, the Wellington Handicap at Sandown under the hunting burden of 140 pounds, and the Doncaster Cup over a distance many thought he was incapable of staying. . , , , , , , , Afelocltys last season in training was undeniably his best. After being unplaced to Ob for the Lincolnshire Handicap last year. Mr. Peebles gave him a special preparation for the City and Suburban, which he won in a canter from Larino and Succour, and again netted a good stake for his connections. A few weeks later he was again well fancied for the Jubilee Stakes, in spite of a ten-pound extra for his Epsom success, being backed down to 4 to 1 against the hitherto unbeaten Polar Star, to which Aelocity was set to concede twenty-eight pounds. Again he put in a grand performance in finishing fourth with the burden of 13S pounds. His next race was the Grand Prix dOstende, run over a mile and three furlongs, wherein he beat some of the best Continental horses, and shorty- afterwards at Goodwood, won the Chesterfield Cup from a good field with 130 pounds in the saddle. It was at Doncaster last year, however, that he set the seal on his fame as a brilliant thoroughbred, when, for the second year in succession, he won the Doncaster Cup, beating such grand stayers as The AVhite Knight. Bridge of Canny, Radium. Torpolnt, and the Chester Cup winner. Querido, thus rivalling the feat of Aredette in 1S57 and 1S5S. Although not a public fancy on this occasion, owing to a doubt about Ills staying the distance in sucli company. Mr. Peebles was, nevertheless, very confident, and made no secret of the same with his friends: and the gallant son of Speed Ballast amply vindicated the opinion of his trainer by a meritorious victory. The Doncaster Cup was his last race. and. subsequently. Mrs. Jackson refused an offer of 5,000 for him from a Belgium breeder.
