view raw text
CONCERNING THAT OFFER FOR TRACERY. It is well known In tills count rv that A. P.elmont refused an oiler of !?20O.XM for his great eolt Tracery, made in behalf of an English syndicate by The Special Commissioner" Allison, who has several times promoted weighty transactions in the way of selling thoroughbreds. Of this affair and his estimate of Tracery, lie said in London Sportsman of October 8: "Concerning Tracery and last weeks reports as to the offer for TiTm, xvliirli had been refused. I now find that Mr. Belmont did. in fact, refuse the second offer for liini. viz., 40,000 guineas, as well as the first, which was 35,000 guineas, but the second refusal he sent to me by mail, wheras the first had some by cable, and, in consequence, the American branch of the Central News was by some means able to obtain ih,o information as to the second refusal before it reached nje. Both offers were subject to the horse not being beaten, so the matter is of 110 special Interest how-, but I am quite sure Tracerys recent defeat would not stand in the way of a deal if Mr. Belmont were willing to reconsider the matter. Of course, if racing is going to prosper once more in the States one can understand that he would want Trncerv for his own stud, and would not part witlfhTm ar".TivpYice; but if adverse in-tlnences should "still depress American racing and bloodstock breeding. Traerry wculd prove a white elephant tbere as did his siro, .Rok Sand, which was consequently sold t go to France. "A correspondent takes mo to task for stating that Tracery Is the best horse in the world, and he maintains that Prince Palatines victory in the Jockey Club Stakes last year under 147 pounds entitles him to rank as better. Far be it from me to depreciate Prince Palatine, but I do not think that anyone now believes StecUast to have been at his best 011 that day. It will he remembered that ho had fallen and cut his knees, and this had most seriously Interfered with his preparation. He was only a short head behind Prince Palatine for the Eclipse Stakes at even weights, and actually b?at him three-quarters of a length for the Coronation Cup at Epsom. "This year we have seen Tracery make short work of Stedfast for the Burwell Plato 1. miles, m Lord Derbys horse being beaten into third place. but at Ascot, for the Cup. Stedfast made quite a good fight of it against Prince Palatine and the latter won by a length and a hair. They were each carrying 130 pounds and Aleppo 120 pounds was third, four lengths behind the second. Thus we find Prince Palatine conceding four pounds and five aud a half lengths better than Aleppo on those terms. Tracery, on the other hand, gave Aleppo sixteen pounds last week and heat him six lengths and if that does not show Tracery to be a better Iior:e than Prince Palatine we may as well burn our Itooks. It might be added that Aleppo has twice beaten Prince Palatine, but I make nothing of that ioliit. for there were valid excuses for the big horse With the single exception of Stedfast, which was nothing like himself, the Held behind Prince Palatine for tlie Jockey Club Stakes was distinctly inferior to that which ran for last weeks race and this can be proved to demonstration, for Adamite 126 pounds finished third to Prince Palatine, thereby winning ,750. wheras in Tracerys race Adamite, meeting him 011 exactly the same terms, viz.. carrving 126 pounds to Tracerys 147 pounds, finished absolutelv last, Aleppo 131 pounds coming in for the third money. Neither race was run in vcrv good time. Prince Palatini won in 3:06 and Cantilever in 3:05. The really sensible line to take, after what we have seen, is to follow Cantilever until he gets beaten."
