view raw text
ONE OF THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE FAVORITES. The Cambridgeshire Handicap will be run at Newmarket next Wednesday. From the outset of ante-post betting over the event, E. Hultons Fairv King has been steadily the favorite. He is a three-year-old bay colt by Desmond Queen Fairy, which is handicapped to carry 114 pounds and has won seven of ills nine races this year. He is a colt of great Sliced and power. However, since Ernest Dresdens Florist won the Duke of York Stakes at Kemp-ton Park October 12, he has practically been as good a favorite as Fairy King, and with good Tcason. He also is a three-year-old and is a bay colt by Florizel II. Ladytown that has won all of his races this year, his crowning achievement and one of extraordinary merit being his victory at Kempton-Park referred to. This race is at a mile and a quarter and is of greater value than the Cambridgeshire, netting 8,325 to the winner this year, while the Cambridgeshire usually brings the winner about 1913.sh,500. The going was deep and holding when the Duke of York Stakes was run. Florist was handicapped at 115 pounds, but carried three pounds overweight to permit 1. Malicr to ride him. The race was fraught with the settlement of several problems of vivid interest. Lord Derbys Light Brigade, with a record of eleven consecutive victories this year and no defeat, was a starter handicapped at 124 pounds and had a host of loyal supporters at 7 to 1. Cantilever had defeated Tracery in the Jockey Club Stakes and the patent merit of that achievement served to make him the post favorite at 9 to 4. " He carried 111 pounds. It turned out that he could not act at all in the holding going and he never for a moment Mattered his backers. Light Brigades crushing imiiost was far too much for him under the track conditions of the day and for the first time this year he met defeat, but ran like the gallant colt he is and for a time was in the first flight. Ultimus, winner of the Manchester November Handicap of 1911 and, carrying 100 pounds, was second choice in the betting at 5 to 1, but was always beaten. Florist was at 100 to 7 at post time. As to the race itself, London Sporting Life said: "It was a .great pity that the dense mist prevented one following the varying phases of the race. The description lias been compiled from the evidence of the jocke-ys, who were unanimous as to it being a fast run contest. G. P., Osellc and Sere-mond were the pioneers to the straight, with Cantilever heading the second division. Lord Harewoods colt was never traveling at all smoothly, jumping rather than galloping in Ills stride, and as they made the line for home the favorite, in company with Seremond, which was equally at sea in tho mud, became a back number. G. P. tight packed on the rails, Oselle and Equanimity were the leading trio when they emerged from tho mist, while Florist, wide on the outside, was the next to come Into view, with a "tail" the like of which has not been seen in a big field this season, Mohacz, Absolute and Thisticton heading off their straggling opponents. With two furlongs to go only Oselle, Equanimity and Florist were in the race with any hope of winning. At first Equanimity and then Florist passed the selected of the Whatcombe Stable, and, Maher bringing Mr. Dresdens three-year-old along with an all-conquering run. won handily, if not easily, from the Manton-trained filly." With a big division of English followers of racing there is an abiding belief in the Duke of York Stakes furnishing a reliable line to the winner of the Cambridgeshire. This was well borne out last year when Adam Bede won the big Kempton Park race and followed this up by winning the Cambridgeshire. Whether Florist will follow this precedent or not will be settled next Wednesday afternoon. In the meantime be is unquestionably a good colt and as likely to win as any horse in the race. His Kempton Park success gained him a ten-pound penalty and this, oddly enough, brought his Cambridgeshire weight up to the same US pounds he carried to triumph in the Duke of York Stakes.
