view raw text
THE GREATNESS OF MORTEMER. Many have been surprised at reading that Lord Coventry believes Mortemer, winner of the Ascot Cup of 1871, was the best horse that ever was foaled, and was supported in that view by Admiral Rous. A big, overgrown horse, he took a long time to ripen, but when he woii the Ascot Cup he was Indued a smasher. He stood seventeen hands high, and was equally good over any course, no matter how long or short. The number of horses of this class that Count de Lagrange, who was the greatest owner of our time, bred was extraordinary, as, in addition to Mortemer, which ran in the name of M. Lefevre, were Gladiateur, Verneuil, Chamant, Henry. Trocadero and Rayon dOr. Mortemer had the action of a pony, and, big as he was, loved to hear his feet rattle. It was the rain that fell overnight, converting the Roodeyo into a bog, that lost him the Chester Cup. He was trying to give over three stone to the four-year-old Glenlivat, and was second. Congratulating M. Lefevre on another great performance on the part of Vulcan, he metaphorically waived him contemptuously aside: "Ah, he is nosslng. Wait till you see my Mortemare." Wc waited, and so did others. It was in a sweepstakes on the T. Y. C. that we saw him, and he had to meet Normandy, which had run second for the Two Thousand Guineas, and Typhocus, one of the fastest horses of his time. For all that C to 4 was laid on Mortemer. and he won anyhow. Chamant was a son of Mortemer, and on the same commanding scale. He came to hand much earlier. As he walked round the DIrdcage before being saddled for the Two Thousand Guineas ho struck everyone. "You dont need to ask what will win this race," said Tom Corns; "look at that chap." Silvio was by no means a common-looking horse, but Chamant stood clean out from the lot. London Sporting Times.
