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ONCE PRIDE OF THE BRITISH TURF. Sceptres Recent Sale Brings Out Many Interesting Incidents of Her Career. In recent years two truly great mares, Sceptre and Pretty Polly, became public Idols in horse-loving G,reat Britain because of their remarkable achievements in racing. Of the two Sceptre came first and has been in the stud for a number of years. Along with the other horses belonging to Sir William Bass she was sold at auction at Newmarket July 10 and was bought by Messrs. Tattersall for 7,000 guineas, or 0,400 in our money. Her daughter Maid of the Mist, with a filly foal by Torpolnt, was then sold to A. Portman for 23,500. Speculation has been rife for some time past as to what price Sceptre would bring at this sale, and the mare and her career have been much discussed In English turf publications. Sporting Life giving the following interesting details the morning prior- to the sale: "Sceptres first appearance in public was sensational enough In all conscience. She vas, of course, bred by the late Duke of Westminster, and after that noblemans death came up for sale at Newmarket the morning of Wednesday, July 4, 1000, along with the remainder of the Eton yearlings. There were twelve of them. They realized an aggregate of 25,600, an average of 18,040 truly colossal figures. Sceptre, then known as the filly by Persimmon, out of Ornament, was the eleventh lot offered. By that time the atmosphere was charged with sensation. Mr. Sievier had given 8,000 for a colt by Orme out of Gantlet, afterwards called Duke of Westminster; the present Duke had bought a colt by Orme out of Kissing Cup subsequently named Cupbearer, for 45,500, and a brother to Flying Fox which came to be known as Flying Lemur for S.-500. The previous record price for a yearling, the 30.000 which Sir Blundell Maple gave for Childwick, had thus been already eclipsed when the Ornament filly came into the ring. As all the world knows she was bought by Robert Standish Sievier. I. cannot do better than allow him to tell the story of the purchase in his own words. After relating how, the previous evening, he went to the Rutland Arms and handed to Mr. Somervllle Tattersall banknotes for 100,000 as evidence of his bona fides, Mr. Sievier proceeds: " At last the filly since known nnder the name of Sceptre was led in. There she stood, what I can only describe as a mass of perfection, even to the merest tyro or a captious critic. . . . She walked round the ring comprised of millionaires and others ready to become the property of the man who would bid the most for her; and I felt I was that man. The value of money was lost in admiration; any commercial view of the situation never entered my mind. I fell in love with her. Her prosT pectlve qualities, either on the turf or for the stud appeared flawless: if one could possibly find the semblance of a blemish it was her inclination to be a little straight in front. A bold Persimmon head, his hocks and characteristics, she was her sire all over to look at in all but sex. " I opened the bidding at 5,000 guineas and, running her quickly in bids of 90O guineas to six. seven, eight, and nine thousand, she was knocked down to me at ten 52,500. I was dubbed by some an ass, by the majority as mad, while a few kindly referred to the proverb about a fool and his money. I should have gone much higher, for I had determined that Sceptre should be mine. "Extracts from another paragraph of the article I am quoting it appeared in the Badminton Magazine may bo given here. Sceptre was duly broken, writes Mr. Sievier, after more than once upsetting her boy at exercise and breaking away. She would career riderless over the Downs moments which I am sure were hours to Charles Morton In due time she, with Duke of Westminster, was ready to try, and very early in their two-year-old days they were galloped five furlongs, each receiving a stone from Leonid, a five-year-old. They both beat him easily, the filly, ridden by W. Lane, finishing well in front of the Duke. Leonid had just wou a race at the Lincoln Spring meeting. So early In the year, this was a most excellent performance for both youngsters; and I venture to say they would have beaten him at even weights. But there was a vast difference in their constitutions. Duke of Westminster being of a delicate nature, and a colt which wanted scientific and moderate training, whilst Sceptre was robust, full of courage, and reveled In her work, notwithstanding that she was all nerves and excitement. It was then and there decided to run her In the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, six furlongs; and this race she won In the record time of 1:10?, beating Csardas, Port Blair and seven others very easily. She at once caught public favor, and I think I can. without fear of contradiction, say she has remained public property from that day. The above was written while Sceptre still remained the property of -Mr. Sievier. She continued in his possession until the end of March, 1903, when Sir then Mr. William Bass bought her for 125,000. In the late autumn of 1901 .Mr. Sievier was asked to put a price on Duke of Westminster which had won both races in which he started as a two-year-old and Sceptre. I put a stiff price on the Duke." writes Mr. Sievier, while I fancy I offered Sceptre too cheaply, which may have caused a slight suspicion about her the turf Is ever skeptical. Be this as It may, according to all precedent, and as is only natural, the Duke being a colt and unbeaten, he was taken away, and I was left with 21,000 guineas 109,200 and the filly. I must frankly admit that I believed with no small degree of confidence that I should beat him when we met, and I seized the first opportunity of putting the matter to the test in the Two Thousand Guineas, the successful result of which, from my point of view, enhanced the sale most sportingly. It has been shown that whereas Mr. Sievier gave 52,500 for Sceptre she won for him stakes to the value of 127,900. leaving a credit balance of 5,-4G0, to say nothing of the 125,000 obtained from Sir W. Bass. What has the latter to set against his outlay? The mare won for him in stakes 03.-107.50. and at the Newmarket Second Spring meeting, three of her daughters sold for 54.340. Already, then, there is a balance to the good of over 15,000, and to that will have to be added the many thousands which Sceptre herself and her eldest daughter, Maid of the Mist, realize this afternoon."
