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». ** " ln :ii f 1 f " f* y " by • to to the ie t. m ONE OF ENGLANDS LEADING TURFMEN. It is barely ten years ago that the colors, "pale • blue, maize hoops and sleeves, pale blue cap." were registered bv Mr. "Lytham. who, although ■" well known as a liberal patron of coursing, was a II newcomer on the turf. As is well known this was a I noine de guerre which but thinly veiled the identity f of Mr. K. Hilltop, a wealthy north-country sports- - man. who. after about five years, dropped the as- - sinned name, and not long afterwards substituted tl orange for maize and transformed his racing livery V from somewhat insignificant appearance into ex- - ceptionallv bright and handsome colors. At the I outset Mr. Unit on was entirely dependent on pur- - chases for his horses, and large sums were laid out t on yearlings, principally under the advice of R. . Wootton. his trainer, and Fortune smiled on the e stable from the beg in u ing, which has been the ex ;• i ■ I I ! ! . ception rather than the rule with buyers of young bloodstock at high prices, and says much for the judgment exercised in the selection. Success has been progressive until Mr. Ilulton has become oue of the most liberal and imiiortant patrons of the turf, with an eminently satisfactory record on which to look back. Some disappointment bus been experienced in his endeavors to score classic honors, which more than once seemed within reach of horses like Stornoway, Shogun, Fairy King, Lomond, Lona-wand and Waiontha. Which was the best class horse of the above I cannot say, but .Shogun was I think the unliickiest. as but for an error of judgment on the part of his rider he might have won Aboyeurs Derby. In my opinion it was Shoguns lxdd rush that led up to all the trouble, but throuugh no fault of Woottons. Reiff. I shall always think, was responsible, for seeing what was going on and fearing what would occur if Shogun got through, he steered Craganour. . to the left and caused the bunching, in hich but for being suddenly pulled up Shogun must have been put over the rails. Owing, as was supposed, to the retirement of R. Wootton. who went to Australia last winter, Mr. Hultons horses, with few exceptions, were transferred from Epsom to the care of R. C. Dawson at Whatcombe. and a fresn start was made with a tine team of twenty-four including fourteen two-year-olds. For a time success i was not up to the stables previous experiences, but towards the end of the season the good luck reasserted itself, and Mr. Hulton with ten horses i won sixteen races worth 2,810. which brought his i winnings in stakes for the past four years up to the handsome total of 22,175. Hopes of classic distinction were with some confidence indulged during the winter, Torloisk and 1 Silver Tag being the stable favorites, but neither realized expectations, for though the colt managed I to win two races and run second ou three other occasions he could only get third for the Two Thousand Guineas, and if he retained the fine speed which i had distinguished him in his first season he turned I out a non-stayer. He took no part in the New Derby. In Silver Tags case deficiency of stamina i was considered the weak point, and the idea may have conduced to her undoing in the One Thousand I Guineas, as but for being tied up with waiting : orders and unable to make more use of her Dono-ghue • was of opinion that she might have won. The I sequel showed clearly enough that she is capable • of getting a mile anil more, for although she failed iu the New Oaks her performances over the Bun-bury - Mile, when winning the Falmouth and Midsummer - Stakes, were brilliant. It was due to ni want of staying power, but rather to her own fault t in swerving under the whip, that led to her disqualification - for the Champion Stakes. Later came ; handsome compensation and a distinctly meritorious achievement when the beautiful filly ran home as straight as a gun barrel to win the Cambridgeshire. A gamer or smoother performance it would be hard I to imagine; in fact, it went far towards vindicating the opinon that the best of the three-year-olds were above the average in class. — "Vigilant" iu London i Spoilsman.
