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ROYAL ASCOT MEETING THIS WEEK. The Worlds Greatest Meeting Financially to Brins Out All the Star American Racers. A peculiarity of the famous Ascot meeting, whicii begins on Ascot Heath Tuesday afternoon. Is tli.lt everv race decided ill its course is a stake race. fi novelty to which this country has never attained. Eighteen of these events were closed prior to the present year, leaving the Ascot Stakes to close Mav 11. the Gold Vase. Roval Hunt Club. Fern Hill Stakes and Wokingham Stakes May 18: the Visiters Handicap. Ascot High Weight Handicap and Kings Stand Stakes May 25. ami the Trial Stakes on June 8. Manv of the stakes closed prior to the foregoing list had no American nominations, lint it is mo:- than irrobable that those which closed last month were liberally patronized by American owners. English turf papers so far received here have only con- lai I the nominations to the Ascot Stakes, at tw miles, which closed May 11. with J inna Ken and Fair llav among the forty-four good horses entered, ami it is known that Sir Martin is one of those nominated to the Royal Hunt Cup. This is one of the most popular races of the Ascot meeting. always brings a big field to the post, made up In variably of the fastest horses- in England, and is ustiallv provocative of heavy betting. It is a dash of sliglitlv loss than a mile, being at seven furlongs and 100 vards. Besides the cup. of the value pf *l.50 there is a sweepstakes of 00 each and ,500 in added specie, making it a valuable sprint indeed. Last year twenty horses went to the post, and the four-year-old. Billy the Verger, with but ninety-seven pounds on bis back, won by a head from Boor Bay. with Forerunner II. third, and such a speedy horse as Dean Swift among those unplaced. Good colt as Sir Martin is. he has been given too much weight to have more than a doubtful chance against the high-class older borses certain to be in with light imposts. - s has before been pointed out ..„.,„. in Daily Racing Form Colin and Ballot are almost sure to make their debut in English racing at the Ascot meeting and this alone will serve to enchain American attention and interest. The fact that Fair Play has so far raced nowhere near to his American form leads to the fear that the Kcene cracks may also disappoint their bost of admirers in this country. It is a fact that outside of Parole, the American horses that have done best abroad have always been those taken across the Atlantic when yearlings or two-year-olds. There is hope that Colin and Ballot have retained their magnificent speed of last year. If they have, few In this country will doubt that the Ascot Gold Cup of this year is destined to be carried off by one or the other of the Brand pair and great will be the iuliilHtk.il if unbeaten Colin proves the victor. Aside from tin- older horses the Coventry Stakes and the New Stakes are exported lo bring out the star two-year olds ill the Keene and Whitney stables, a circumstance of great interest alone.
