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j | | 1 • i i " 1 • 1 • I ■ l I . j . 1 : , , . i I i ! ■ . i I l I . MORE OF THE LATE ROBERT DAVIES. Francis Nelson contributed to the columns of the Toronto Globe the following timely sketch of the turf activities of the late Robert Davies, prominent Canadian turfman and breeder: "The death of Mr. Robert Davies. of Thorncliffe, which occurred yesterday after a long illness, re- moves one of the principal figures of the Canadian turf, one of the oldest members of the Ontario Jockey Club, and a leading breeder, not only of thoroughbreds, but also of Clydesdales and standard- bred horses. These were only what might be called sidelines of a busy mans varied and important affairs, but in these he took the most interest and found the greatest satisfaction and recreation. He lived out of town by choice and Chester Park and ThornclilTe Farm were the places that suited him best, for all that he was concerned in business enterprises of great magnitude and engrossing importance. The thoroughbred establishment at the farm was steadily expanded and there must be about a hundred bead of bloodstock now at Thorn - cliffc. For ten years he was a director of the Ontario Jockey Club, from 1894 to 1904, and he was a leading spirit in many societies of horse breeders and exhibitors. Though he was all his life concerned iu racing, the present generation needs no more than the names of such horses as Plate Glass. Southern Maid. Calgary and their stable companions to recall his most recent triumphs on the turf. " King Bob was a masterful man -hence the bum — of positive and determined nature, and once be decided on his course lie pursued it without flinching. If he was your friend he was with you tooth-and-nail. If he was again you. there would be no doubt about it, to put it mildly. A characteristic instance of adherence to his determi- nations was the manner of his withdrawal from the office of first vice-president of the Ontario Joe key Club, as a result of a difference with the board over a matter of apparently little import- ance. On more than one occasion, the late Mr. William Hendrie, the clubs president, and a staunch friend of Mr. Davies, endeavored to pre- vail on him to return to the board, urging that the reason for his withdrawal was too trivial for such a serious step. He always maintained a high re-| gard for Mr. Hendrie. whom he usually and famil-. iarly addressed as the boss, and his invariable reply was: You know, "boss," I said I would and I did. And you yourself dont care much for peepst who dont stick by what they say, He not only left the board, but for a long time remained away entirely from Woodbine. When he retained to active racing he went into it thoroughly, buy-| bag largely of well-bred yearlings, and quieklj-1 reaching the top of the list among the winning owners on the Canadian turf. "Mr. Davies was all his life a sound, practical horseman, and perhaps the only owner of a Plate winner who had ever ridden in the race for the Guineas. When a lad of about fifteen he rode Nora Crohn! in the Plate that was run at London in 1805 and won by Lady Norfolk. At that time the race weal run in wile heats, instead of the mile and a quarter dash of the present day. His mount on this occasion was owned by Edward Lepper. who lived at the northwest corner of Winchester and Sackville streets, the property now being occupied by half a dozen house-s. Winchester street, now asphalt-pared, and one of the routes of Manag.-r Flemings flat -wheeled trolley cars, was then a quiet, orchard -lined country road, and its sandy soil afforded splendid galloping ground. There Nora Creiaa was trained, with a number of others of the; Lepper race horses. Like every Ontario turfman. Mr. Davies cherished an ambition to win tin-Plate with a horse of his own rearing. In 1S71 he-won the Guineas at Kingston with Floss, a filly leased from the late John Stanton of Whitby, but never suce-eeded in his great oli.ject. In spite of his great resoure-es and his long-eontiniied efforts the prize he sought for ever eluded him. Thorncliffe-bred horses were numerous and good in the many years that have passed since their owner set himself to this task, but the good fortune that attended his persistency in many other fields of action failed him here, and never since the days of Floss did H have the satisfaction of seeing the canary and black jacket come home first in a race for the Plate. A good judge said that perhaps the best horse ever sent out from the- beautiful farm at the Don Forks was edd Thorncliffe. which nccoinplishi-d little on the flat but was a steeple-chaser of surpassing merit, up to carrying 190 pounds through the trying e-ourse of the sodden field of old Woodliiue before the days of drainage, and at a period when smashing steeplechase horses were more freipient than today. Other famous junipers turned out from the farm were Opuntia and Thornhedge. "If the chief prize of Canadian breeding escaped him the horses that carried the Thorncliffe colors occupied leading places in other events. When the Connaught Cup was first offered for Canadian-owned horses Mr. Davies made up his mind that it would look well on the sideboard of Chester Park, and he had it there for the first three years of its running. Plate Glass, the flying black horse, was bought especially for this race, and he delivered the goods winning when it was a weight -for-age race, and again when it was a handicap, carrying top weight. The following year Calgary won it for him, and the stable also won the Dukes Cup at Blue Bonnets. For the past few years the canary and black has been carried by an exceptionally strong representation. The table below indicates some of the measure of success that attended its racing efforts: Year. Trainer. 1st. 2d. 3d. Earn. 1912 C. T. Patterson 37 24 IS 0,635 1913 John Nixon 33 25 23 33.3S8 1914 II. McDaniel 9 16 21 10,345 1915 II. McDaniel 18 29 17 15,190 "Last season, on account of Mr. Davies physical disability, the horses raced as the Thorncliffe Stable, which name may be perpetuated if the racing ebtabliandluneut is continued. It is now probably stronger in home-bred material than at any time, many goad mares and the stallion Nealon being added to the breeding enterprise, besides such sires as First Sight and Calgary that were transferred from the racing string."
