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FIRST WEEK OF ENGLISH RACING. Mcrcutios Lincolnshire Only One Horse Stands Up in the Grand National Steeplechase. Loudon, Eng., March 25. After the customary stagnation of winter, admirers of flat racing welcomed the resumption of their beloved sport with avidity and Hocked to Lincoln and Liverpool in rejoicing thousands. Both meetings were markedly successful, the attendance on Lincolnshire Handicap day being possibly a rccoi-d. One feature of the opening day was the success of Danny Mahcr in guiding the veteran Snatch to victory in the first flat race of the season of 1911. He also rode the winner of the last race of the day and is very fit, riding at 118 pounds without trouble. This should mean another good year for the crack American rider and general favorite. Appropriately enough his success in the last race of the day was on the American-bred Shady Joe, by Sombrero Josie Rood, in the Northern; Welter Handicap, at 1 3-S miles. The principal race of the day, the Batthyany Plate, at five furlongs, was contested! by sixteen crack sprinters and fell to J. B. Rcnwlcks filly, Stolen Kiss, by a head from the famous Master Hopsou,-which was the favorite at 100 to 30 against. Brax-ted, a good two-year-old last year, was second choice, but made no showing. . The great race of the meeting, the Lincolnshire Handicap, .was contested by thirty-two horses and was the outstanding feature of the second day. For one reason and another it had aroused more than average interest, and for at least ten days prior to the race betting over it had been hot and heavy, with at least a dozen candidates backed to win fortunes. At post time Dalnacrag was a firm favorite at C to 1. with Mercntio and Holot joint second choices at 100 to 12. and Spanish Prince third choice at 10 to 1. Mr. Whitneys Now Castle, fancied at one time at 20 to 3, was an outsider at 50 to 1, it being understood that he was not entirely ready. There was a very long delay at the barrier, mainly caused by the fractiousness of Vigilance, whose jockey spent most of the time out of the saddle. When the tapes finally went up Placidus. Clnderello, White Owl and Protestant Boy all got off badly, whilst Wise Mason and Vigilance were practically left. When they had fairly settled down Brandimin-tine was well out by himself, his nearest attendant being Spanislr Prince, next to which came Chantenr, Mercutio. Long Sot, Helot and Eudorus. Then at a slight interval were Sitliet, Louvigny, New Castle, Radis Rose anil Placidus. At the end of about a half mile Mercutio went Into second place and gradually closed with the leader, and from tills point on there were really only two in .it. At the distance Ringstead began to ride the leader, and he was headed a few strides further on by Mercutio, which won by a length. Spanish Prince was third, four lengths behind: the second. Long Set was fourth. Sitliet fifth, Eudorus sixth, Falalse II. seventh. New Castle eighth, Placidus ninth, Domncz Mo tenth, Helot eleventh, Louvigny jiext, and Wise Mason, General Botha and Ouadi Haifa the last three. Time, 1 minute and 438 seconds. Mercutio is a bay horse, six years old, by For-rarshlrc Sillabub. He was bred by the well-known coursing judge, R. A. Brice.and was purchased as a yearling by J. Byrne for 400 guineas. At two years of age Mcrcutios only success was gained in the .Michaelmas Pjate at Manchester, but lie was placed on each of the other three occasions on which lie ran. The following year he was seen out eight times without victory once coming his way; but lie was flown at too high game to start with, and : subsequently the haudicappers looked after him too well. He was unplaced in the Two Thousand Guineas, and though a second in the Newmarket Stakes to St. AVolf induced Couch, who then trained him. to think he held a chance for the Derby, but he failed to stay in the latter race. His best performance of the year, perhaps, was his third to Elmstead and Poor Boy in the Stewards Cup. At four years of age he only ran once, when he was unplaced to Duke of Sparta in the Lincolnshire Handicap; Last year two defeats preceded a win in the Derby AVelter at Lewes June, and then he secured the Perkins Memorial Plate at Xewcastle Summer. Subsequently he was purchased privately by his present owner, Charles Hibbert. and carried the black; silver braid twice unsuccessfully. Hibbert is a daring bookmaker and besides winning over 00,000 on his horse laid heavily against the other fancied candidates, one bet of 0,000 to 0,000 against Spanish Prince being a conspicuous example. The Americans scored heavily on the third and last day of the meeting when H. De Courcy Forbes Mr. Peeper won the Brocklesby Stakes, the first stake race of the year for two-year-olds and worth ,990 to the winner. Mr, Peeper is a chestnut son of Meddler Admiration and was bought for Mr. Forbes by trainer J. Butters at a sale of Clarence Alackays yearlings that took place last year at the Newmarket July meeting, costing the trifle of 00. March IS Butters tried half a dozen of his juveniles with the three-year-old Slatiu Pasha, which a week previously had defeated a couple of Gurrys youngsters, with the result that" the Brocklesby winner beat Fair Relative by three parts of a length, with Slatiu Pasha a neck behind, third. Evidently the trainer considered that there was not a deal to choose between his two charges, as both were started in the Brocklesby. Singularly enough, too, In spite of the fact that so few two-year-olds have this year proved capable of finishing iu front of their seniors in home gallops, three of their opponents were preferred in the market, so that 10 to 1 was easily procurable about either of the Kremlin House pair. Yet they had the finish to themselves, three-quarters of a length agaiii beiiig the margin separating them. Mr. Peeper is well engaged in other stake races to come and It is the general opinion that lie is quite capable of taking his .fair share of them. Twenty-one youngsters started in the Brocklesby and while Ml-. Peeper only boat Fair Relative three parts of a length. Angel Clare, the third horse, was four leugths away. Mr. Belmonts Hour Glass was a good fourth. The first day at Liverpool was marked by the first glimpse of Seaforth as, a three-year-old and a prominent candidate for the Two Thousand Guineas. His 1911 debut was in the rich Union Jack Stakes at a mile, which he won, but only by a head from Athelstan. the extreme outsider in the betting. Steadfast was a good third, but so evidently not ready that there was a sentiment voiced to the effect that he would defeat Seaforth when next they met. However, there . is also as much chance for improvement in Seaforth. and Athelstan may be a better colt than has been supposed. The Liverpool Spring Cup was easy for Zoozal and his victory will give him an outsiders consideration for the Dcrbv. The .chief, .race, of the meeting, the Grand Xational Steeplechase., was run Friday afternoon with the remarkable result that of twenty-six Starters only one went the course without a mishap and quite "naturally that one, Gleuside. was the winner. The French horse. I.ntteur III., was a great favorite at 7 to 2 and but for being knocked down, would probably have won. Trianon III. fell at the first fence. Lord Rivers at the second and Foolhardy which was remounted and went on, at the third. Flaxen was the next victim, coming to grief at the fourth fence, and at the fifth Carsey fell, and brought down Iloniaji Candle and Schwai--mor. Beebers Brook disposed of the chance of Fet-lars Pride, and at the succeeding fence a loose horse .balked Lutteur III., which got hung up on the top of It and was. .cannoned, into by Kory OMoore. At the canal turii Circassians .Pride came to grief over a loose horse, and Alz. also fell. Valentines Brook proved fatal to the prospects of Hercules II. and though he was remounted he was pulled up soon after going into the country the second time. The fence after Aaleutines Brwk disposed of Bridge .IA and Schwarmer, , which got into trouble with: another loose horse, whilst Great Cross fell. As they jumped on to the l-ace course, Jpiikinstown came down, and Caubeen sijd Preawor, side by side, vere clear of Rathnally, GlenslUe and Monk A., Mount Prospects Fortune and Shady Girl being a long way in the rear. Over the water in front of the stand ..Cnubcen was slightly in front of Precentor, the pair being followed by Itathimlly which blundOTed badly and shot his jockey on to his neck, Olenside, Shady Girl and .Mount Prospects Fortune. Hercules II. and Foolhardy, a long way behind, being the only others in the race. Going into the country again Rathnally Joined the leader, and Glenside was third. Mount Prospects Fortune made a bad blunder at the regulation ditch and came down at the next fence. Precentor had previously fallen, and when, at the fence after Bechers Brook. Caubeen and Batlmally came down. Shady Girl and Glenside were practically the only ones left iu the race, the l-e-moiiutcd Foolluirdy beiiig a quarter of a mile behind the pair. Shady Girl fell about a mile from home and, Glenside going on alone, won by twenty lengths from Kathnally. which beat Shady Girl by three lengths for second place. Foolhardy was the "only other to finish. Time, 10:35. Glenside was at 20 to 1 in the betting, but this was because he had fallen sick some three weeks back and was not thought to lie sufficiently recovered to have much chance. Prior to his falling sick lie had been one of the ante-post favorites. The death occurred the other day at the Kilborry Stud, County Meatli, of AAinktield. which belonged to W. C. Snljivnii. Foaled In 1883. ho was by Barcaldtuc, out of Chaplet, by Bcadsmau, and, following a useful career on the turf, he made a big mark in the stud, where he sired numerous winners, including AVinkficlds Pride, BachoMrs Button. Lis-cartoir, Kilberry, The Page, Kingtield. The Solicitor. Green Tree, Royal AVinklield, The- Almanac, Likely Bird, Aalenza dam of Aalcns, Bachelors Fancy, etc. The Grand National Steeplechase horse Rathnally is the subject of a lawsuit in Dublin. The late .Mr. Wntsou. who bred Rathnally, gave him to Oliver Jones, but faUcd to execute a deed of gift. Now the widow of the breeder is suing for a share in the horse, which, she considers, belongs to her late husbands estate. A hospital has been erected at the rear of the paddock at Sandown Park, which will bear favorable comparison with anything of the kind to be found on a race course The central apartment contains three beds, and the surgical appliances at hand embrace everything that Is likely to be of service in the most serious accident. Attached are sitting and bedrooms for a nurse, also a completely equipped kitchen. All the apartments are warmed by means of radiators. St. Gris, the sire of the Grand Xational winner, Glenside, was one of two horses which defeated Flying Fox, the event being the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kemplon Park. A". Saxbv has accepted a retainer to ride first jockey for the Foxhill Stable this season. Mr. Fairie will have third claim on the services of F. Arootton during the present racing season, the fee paid being ,000.
