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SOME ENGLISH FASHIONABLE SIRES SIRESCommenting Commenting on features of last years statistics of racing in England Vigilant of London Sportsman says of certain of tin leading stallions Only ten could boast an aggregate running into live figures and of these Spearmint Your Majesty and Cicero alone can claim classic distinction un ¬ less indeed William the Third as winner of the Ascot Hold Cup can be included in that category Your Majesty has gone to the Argentine while of the others Sundridge is in France and Des ¬ mond is dead As a sire ot winners William the Third comes out best with twenty which between them won thirtysix and a half races while Santoi had nineteen winners First place does not how ¬ ever depend on such reckoning but on the amount of money won in stakes and in this way Foly melus easily conies out top as seventeen of his sons and daughters won among them twice that number of races of the value of 148035 which is by far his best record A closer analysis enhances the merit of these figures since among his success ¬ ful progeny were Black Jester the winner of the St Leger and four other stakes Corey ra which only missed the Two Thousand Guineas by a short head but was one of the best of his age with four vic ¬ tories to his credit Honeywcod winner of the Cam ¬ bridgeshire and Polycrates while of the older horses Maiden Krlegh acquitted himself creditably taking the City anil Suburban But better possi ¬ bly than any of these may turn out Pomniorn whose hollow defeat of King 1riam for the Imperial 1ro ducp Stakes at Kcnipion Park was one of the most stylish exhibitions in the juvenile department and having plenty of scope for improvement this good looking youngster may train on Into the champion of the coming season Iolymclns hail another good twoyearold in Polygram which should do profit ¬ able service and in the useful class must be in ¬ cluded Polystome Polydinnna and Prince Igor IgorExtensive Extensive as is his own breeding stud at Maiden Krlegh with its branch at Polegate Mr S P Joel is a plucky buyer when the spirit moves him and whereas Pommern is not of his own breed ¬ ing Polymelus Long Set and Bachelors But ¬ ton may be quoted as having turned out splen ¬ did bargains As regards the first the transfer may almost be rated as a lluke as but for a mis ¬ understanding the liorsu would not have changed hands at 4 00 guineas quite a different program being contemplated but then it is he was sold on the course and at the stud he has recovered tlio money over and over again Polymelus is full for this season and next at 00 guineas and will continue to fill with ordinary luck being firmly established among the most fashionable sires at the stud A similar tale might be told concerning the racing career of Long Set which was bought out of a selling race at Lincoln for a monkey and straightway climbed to the top of the tree before he broke down ami was sent to the stud to till for the current season at S sovereigns Bachelors Button set the seal on his fame when he won the Cold Cup beating the iieerless Pretty Polly the only tlnio she was ever beaten in this country and as regards Cups it may b doubtful if any other living owner can show such an array as S 15 Joel Bachelors Button was sent to France to make room for Sunder at Maiden Erlegh which is full for 151 at MO guineas and it may be men ¬ tioned that St Denis sire of the smart twoyear old Kedfern has gone to the Polegate stud farm his place at the Heading establishment being taken bv Ixmg Set SetWilliam William the Third foaled in 18 S by St Simon Gravitv was unquestionably one of his sires best sons and it may be accepted that he would havo won a second Gold Cup but for breaking down at the eleventh hour I lew Black Sand good genuine stayer though he was managed to beat him for the Jockey Club Stakes was one of those strange occur ¬ rences which make the charm of racing and jut as incxplicalile was the defeat of Bayardo for Uic Goodwood Cup and the collapse of Prince Palatine for the Jockev Club and the Goodwood1 Cup These are things which no fellow can understand but make for the glorious uncertainty and teach us to take th rough with the smooth The ciass of William the Thirds winners last year will not bear such critical scrutiny as does that of Polymclns tliough some useful hoi es were among them the chief being Trois Temps which if he fell short of classic pretensions was still equal to winning such prizes as Ihe North Derby at Newcastle and the Jockey Club Stake A genuine and good horse was Birlingham until leg troubles interfered but for which he might liave proved a thorn in tlio side of his halfbrother for the race just mentioned He is another of the novices in the stallions list and as a son of William the Third anil Queen Marigold should surely succeed Nassau did his share as did also Orangeman originally known as Anglesey and Wil ¬ liams Pride but I am afraid no classic distinction is in store for any of Williams threeyearolds which include nothing 1 etter than Boxer Hightield Kings Chancellor Iady Orkney Willna Stop and Koseland for although tlie 1istnamcd could claim form as iood as any contemporary there is he fear that ht will not stand training anyway he did not meet any of his engagements after he won the Newmarket Julv Stakes in such line style William the Third stands at Walbcck at 400 guineas while ISirlinghanf s fee at the same stud like that of Premier is 48 sovereigns
