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CRACK TWO -YEAR- OLD S IN ENGLAND. Two American Colts Considered in the First Flight of Juveniles of Present Season. The youngsters of the English turf nominated to do battle in the big classics of next year have all gone into winter quarters and the critics hnvc to wait till next April to see which of the foremost brigade will have made the most improvement. Of the 304 youngsters originally entered for the Derby about 250 have been seen tarrying silk during the season, and they have shown all sorts of form. Generally the top sawyers are rated around 130 pounds and they arc from that down to 75 pounds, the biggest section being not even as good as the ordinary selling plater. Sometimes it happens that an obscure animal as a two-year-old will develop into the leading division in his three-year-old year, but the cases have been rare, for as a general rule the colt or filly that figures well among the better class as a two-year-old will maintain the form In after life. There are exceptions of note here, too, as can be instanced in the great colt Bayardo, which as a two-year-old swept everything before him and which finished no better than fifth in the Derby. For a number of years past American owners abroad and the partisans of American horseflesh at home have jollied themselves on the probabilities of victory, the belief each year being based mostly on foolish theories and wild rumors. Usually a couple of weeks before the Derby, or about the middle of May, from some unknown source a report would spread here of some American colt burning up the grass with speed on the Newmarket Heath and how the English trainers were in dismay with defeat staring them in the face. An example of the yearly fiasco was Sir Martin, which supposedly had the Blue Riband at his mercy, and the rumors were so strong that he carried a lot of American money when he went to the post. How he came a cropper at Tattenham Corner is well known, and once more the hopes of an out and out Yankee-bred animal winning the coveted race were dashed to the ground. It is singular that next year when there is a chance of the race being won by an American colt nothing has been so far said about it, for the chances now of an American success are brighter than any winter since Iroquois did the trick. Two American colts figure in the front rank, and the best of It is that they have earned their place by actual work and not by theory or guesses on the part of any experts on this side of the water. They have been classed by English handlcappers. The colts are Sweeper II., by Broomstick Ravello II.. owned by H. B. Duryea, and Cataract, by Ben Brush Running Stream. Of the two Sweeper II. has the best credentials, as he has been rated at 12S pounds, while the allotment to Cataract is 12G, or the burden the colts are asked to carry in the Derby. Sweeper II. is Franco-American bred, but was debarred by some informality from competing in the French races, and he was sent to England. He made his debut at Ascot, and though he was poorly steered by the American jockey Reid he managed to give a half length beating to a first rate colt named Jaeger. The next appearance of Sweeper II. was at i Newmarket, where he was ridden by Muusse, but the colt showed that he was more or less on the leather-mouthed order, for he ran wide in spite of the jockeys efforts. His opponents that day were White Star, a brother to Sunstar, this years Derby winner, and the smart American filly Melody. The pair steered a much stralghter course and came home two lengths ahead of Sweeper II., but it was the opinion that lie should have won had he kept nearer to the others. White Star had a neck the better of Melody and was giving her an allowance of three pounds. At Goodwood Sweeper II. was pulled out again; and Stern, who knew more about his methods than the other jockeys, had the leg up on him. He had the luck to be placed between two others and steered a straight course. Although he gave Char-inlan, Lord Roseberys crack filly, three pounds the son of Broomstick won by a neck. Danny Maher rode Oharmian and at one time looked dangerous, but Stem was master of the situation when it came to the last furlong. Melody, which was in receipt of the sex allowance, was third, about a length behind the Rosebery candidate. By far the best showing made by Sweeper II. was in the Middle Park Plate, where he split Absurd and White Star, these two being owned by J. B. Joel. The verdict was that Absurd won by three lengths from Sweeper II., while a length and a half away was White Star. The first and second carried 120 pounds and the third 129. The report had It that White Star vas crossed at the start, but the opinion was that what he lost there was less than the difference at the finish, and by winning Absurd proved himself the best two-year-old of the season. Absurd, although he is in the Two Thousand. Guineas, is not in the Derby or St. Leger. and Mr. Joel will have to rely on Whito Star, which has a nomination in alt the classics. Both.colta are classed at 133 pounds, which is the high water mark this time. Earlier in the season White Star, which will no doubt be the winter favorite for the Derby, was. beaten by an erratic colt named Jingling Geordie. and owned by James Buchanan. A slight attack of sickness prevented the latter animal from meeting, any of the young hues in the prominent nurseries, and for a while there was an idea that he was the best of the season. He was not ready for the Middle Park Plate, but was saddled for the Dewhurst Plate, the last big nursery of the year. White Star was the favorite and he carried 131 pounds, while Jingling Geordie had two pounds less. The Joel entry led from the start, while Jingling Geordie was last, but in favor of the latter it must be said that he lost some ground at the start. Though White Star left no doubts about his superiority, there "arc those who think that Jingling Geordie bag the most quality and that some day when lie runs true he may surprise the world. Another fine colt placed in the same mark as Joels pair is Lomond, by Desmond Lowland Aggie, and the property of Mr. E. Hutton. Lord Falmouths chestnut filly Bellelsle won some line races and is rated three pounds below the top-uotchcrs. Among the two-year-olds the great sensation of the season was created by a chestnut colt named Coriander, owned by Major Eustace Loder, and a half-brother to the famous Pretty Polly. He made his bow to the public in the Great Sapling Plate at Sandown the last week in October and was so little fancied that he went to the post at the long price of 100 to 1. Absurd was in the race and was the favorite at 100 to 12 on. There was some comment made when Percy Purcell Gilpin, the trainer of Coriander, was seen to go up to the ring and place two sovereigns on Pretty Pollys relative. It was too long odds for any sensible man to let slip, he remarked, and especially when the trainer knew that the colt could move a bit. Some of the stable hands, too, were seen slipping on their shillings, but the wise brigade said that although Coriander was in receipt of seventeen pounds Absurd was good enough to throw that much away and win. In all the races which Absurd won he darted off at the start and nothing had a chance with him afterward. That-time it was Coriander who dashed away at the start and made the pace a cracker. A furlong from home Wootton, who had the job on Absurd, called on him for a spurt and by a sheer effort he pulled alongside the leader, but Walter Griggs took a pull at the big chestnut, which answered by drawing out and winning by a length. In the paddock Coriander was all the attraction, the opinion being that Lucky Loder, as the Major is called, had a promising candidate for the Derby. An accident to Corianders hock prevented him from being broken till late in the spring else he would have been seen out oftener. Soon afterward Coriander was beaten at even weights by Charmian, and on this and other beaten ones Vigilant has the following to say: "Among two-year-olds that have run at Newmarket this week it is by no means certain that we did not see one or more of the best among the non-winners. For example, there is probably a great future in store for Coriander, the big, good-looking half-brother to Pretty Polly, which may perhaps "have been asked to do a little- too much when brought out so soon after his Sandown race to take on a smart filly like Charmian. Whether his forelegs arc under suspicion or not I do not know, for the bandages prevent any sort of inspection of them, but I should think these bandages are only by way of precaution, for Coriander is a heavyish colt that was not broken until January this year and no doubt the long season of drought was all against him. He had only just begun to really come to hand when he ran and won at Sandown Park last week. Though beaten by Charmian he was by no means disgraced, for he struggled on gamely when in dilliculties. and his two-year-old form Is already letter than that of his sire. Spearmint. "Another lieaten colt which will see a much better day is ht. Neots, which failed by a head only to win the Maiden Plate on Wednesday. Curiously enough I see Mr. Richards handicapped Tidal Wave to give St. Neots one -pound. Now Tidal Wave is by no means at the top of the tree, but St. Neots is but recently clear of the coughing epidemic, and he is, moreover, a big, rather backward colt, somewhat awkward in his action and very diliicult to balance down a hill. Unless I am mistaken it was this latter point which proved his undoing on Wednesdav, for Tidal Wave distinctly slipped him as thev got into the dip, but St. Neots throughout the last furlong ran on with unflinching determination and stamina under full pressure, and instead of being beaten a length or more, as at one time seemed likely, got to his adversarys head lefore they passed the post. "Tidal Wave is a remarkably fine colt, but I do not think he will ever again beat St. Neots, which is probably the best Isinglass colt we have seen since John o aunt. His dam. St. Neophyte, by. St. Simon, out of Neenali, by York, has already gained distinction through her elder son, I.omba, winner of the Ascot Cup, and as I wrote more than ouce last year, It was really astonishing that no one would buy St. Neots at a reasonable reserve when he came up among the Worksop yearlings at Don-caster last year. Sir John Robinson subsequently leased him to Lord Lonsdale, for whom he will assuredly win high class races. He had slightly injured one of Ills hocks when offered for sale as a yearling, and that was the excuse buyers made for not taking him, but it, was a groundless excuse, as events have already proved. "Another beaten two?y ear-old about which I cannot write in terms of culogium is Cylgad. which failed absolutely on his merits to get nearer than third for the Dcwhurt Plate. This time he ran home without bumping or crossing any of his opponents, and it was perfectly clear that White Star is fully seven pounds his superior. 1 had expected better things of Cylgad, for I know Brewer has a high opinion of him and he looks good enough to win a Derby. That we have never yet seen the best of him is probable enough, but he ran on Thursday as if he could not get seven furlongs."
