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GREAT TRIPLE CROWN WINNER OF 1886. 1 1 Features in the Career of One of the Grandest i Horses of Turf History. , There is no such thins as unanimity on any uf the numerous mundane matters that either insinuate themselves or are dragged into the realm of eon- : tmvorsy. Maybe it is just as well tluit this is so. for this iHK r old world of ours would be an un- , interesting sort of place if cvciv1hi.1v were of one mind on everything. At the same time, if race- , goers of fairly long standing were asked their j ■pinion as to the greatest race horse of modern , times, the vast majority would, it is tolerably safe . in assert, give their vote in favor of Ormonde, and without much hesitation at that. . ~ One has. however. no intention of entering into , ■an argument as to the relative merits of the triple • I crown hero of ls*c. and other renowned turf per- i formers, it is obviously imi ossilile to get a direct lint — or a line of any kind, for that matter — of the . form of totally distinct peri.xls. hut there is no . gainsaying the fact that Ormonde was a great j horse, and it is sufficient for present purposes to i deal with him as such. Ormonde, which was by Bend Or — Lily Agnes, was foaled in 1883. which year also witnessed the birth of several other animals destined to make turf history. Among these were Minting, which was i successful in the whole of his live efforts as a two- 1 year-old: The Bard, also unbeaten in his first season, during which he won no fewer than sixteen races; St. Mirin. and Saraband. And yet Ormonde was unquestionably the l est of that wonderful year, though the fact was not demonstrated l. the satis- , faction of all until the three-year-old days of these ; celebrities. Ormonde did not make hi* debut until the New- t market Second Octolx-r meeting of 1SS5. by which time Minting and The Hard had established big ; reputations. The Duke of Westminsters colt made . his first apix-arancc in a Post Sweepstakes, in which he was opposed by Modwciia and Warbler, slight odds being laid on Modwena. Ormonde, however, won by a length, while he subsequently easily won the Criterion Stakes and the Dewburst 1late, | this representing his first years efforts. The following year he experienced a more strenuous time, taking part in ten races, all of which he won. His first essay was in the Two Thousand, in which he at last encountered Minting, in addition to Saraband. St. Mirin and others. Matthew Dawson, who trained Minting, regarded Mr. Vyners coll as a champion— and there was no better judge of a horses abilities. The public, for the most pari, subscribed to Dawsons view and Minting was installed ■ good favorite. Saraband also being pre- . forred to Ormonde. The last-named, however, won i comfortably by two lengths from Minting, whose , trainer was more than astonished, but he accepted the position, and Minting was not called ui ou to j tackle the. Kiiigscltre colt in the Derby, being, instead, deputed to run in the Grand Prix de Paris. which he had no difficulty in winning. The Dard. however, had a cut at Ormonde in the , Derby, and. like Minting, was well beaten. Following this the son of Komi Or won the All-Aged Stakes . and llardwicke Stakes at Ascot, in the latter event easily defeating Melton, the previous years Derby winner. His next outing was in the St. Leger. which he won in a canter from St. Mirin. His remaining successes that year were scored in the Great Foal Stakes and the Newmarket St. Leger at tile first October meeting, the Champion Stakes. , ami the Free Handicap, receiving forfeit in a Private Sweepstakes on the last day of the Hough- . ton meeting. By this time, of course, the wonderful racing . Iiowers of Bend Ors son were universally recognized and when he reap|»eared as a four-year-old in the Rous Memorial Stakes at Ascot, substantial odds were laid on his chances against Kilwarlin and : Agave, which odds were duly landed in the easiest fashion. I.ater in the year Kilwarlin won the St. Leger from the Derby winner of the year. Merry Hampton. Twenty-four hours later Ormonde took part in the well-renieinbered llardwicke Stakes, in which he was again opposed by Minting, while Ben-digo. one of the greatest handicap horses of any time, was also in the field. A splendid race was witnessed lietwoen the two first named. Ormonde finishing a neck in front of his great rival, with Bondigo well lieaten. This race set the seal upon the reputation of Ormonde, which ran but once subsequently, when, with 33 to 1 laid on hiin. he defeated Whitefriar and Livegold in the Imperial Gold Cup at one of the July meetings at Newmarket. It was certainly unfortunate for Mr. Vyner that Minting should have been foaled in the same year as the Duke of Westminsters colt, for that Minting was an animal well above the average admits of no doubt. His victory in the Jubilee Stakes with 140 iiounds in the saddle is sufficient evidence of his capabilities, to say nothing of his other achievements. In what may be termed an "ordi- , nary" year he would probably have swept the classic board, so to speak. What would he have done. say. , with such a Derby winner as Merry Hampton, which happened to come along a year later? But. there it is; the season of 1* S6 was not an ordinary season. In all. Ormonde won sixteen races of the total value of 42.325 — a substantial aggregate when it is noted that there were no "ten thousand-pounders" to help it along. Later he was sold for SCO.OOO to Don Juan Bot-an. who eventually transferred him to Mr. Macdonough of San Francisco, for .10.000. but he returned to England in MM. Ormonde did not obtain the same success at the stud as on the track, but he sired at least one good colt in Orme. — "J. F. P.." in Sporting Life.
