view raw text
BRIEF BUT BRILLIANT RACING CAREER. Spiarmint a Cheaply Bought Yearling, hut One of the Best Derby Winners. In the Scptc inbe-r i 1 1904 a consignment of yearlings numbering nine were sent from the famous Sledmere stud to the annual sales at Doaeaster. These nine yearlings in tin- aggregate realised a sum approaching ll.OfXi guineas. One- .ef the batch was a colt bj Carbine out e f a Minting mare, appropriately named Maid of the- Mint. This colt did no: greatly appeal to buye-rs. Inn eventually a bid of 300 guineas was f rthcoming frost Major l.ustace- I.ode-r. at which figure the hammer came down. Major Loder was admittedly one of fortunes favorites to sucb a degree-, inch-eel. that his friends spoke of him as "Lucky l.o-ler." Ila.l his luck «■ gun an, I ended with the purchase of this Carbine colt the cognomen would have been testified, but be had like-wise owned Pretty Polly. The major had taken quite a fancy to this Sledmere youngster and had it been uetttttry he- would have gone much higher than the 300 guineas aforesaid. But no one made it necessary and it thus happened that 1: secured one of the greatest bargains imaginable. If the colt dil net attr.it much attention at Doneaster, he was d -stilled to make Considerable history at Epsom leas titan two rears biter. Tin- son of Carbine was sent to Clarebuvea to be trained with the remainder of Major Ixiders homes unci was duly given the Bume of Spearmint. His early days at Newmarket wen tsai bed by a severe- attack of fever, which lasted some months, and it says a groat deal for his constitution that he made- a complete recovery from an illness that would have- incapacitated the majority Of animals. Spearmint made his debut al the- I.iiigfield Summer meeting oi 1906, being one f ten contestants for the Great Foal Plate-, for which race- he started favorite. They were a pretty poor lot, and Spearmint Justified his favoritism, though it was only by a head that be accounted for Succory, which subsequently ween a Newbury Spring Cup. anil dropped dead a year later, after taking part in the same event. Spearmints next appearance waa in the Champion Breeden1 Foal Staked, at Derby, in Sep ten .her. I ut On this occasion he- was easily beaten by Black Arrow, which had previously refused t e start ai Goodwood, when loo to 7 was laid on him. His final essay was in the Richmond Nursery Handicap at the Newmarket Houghton meeting. In this be carried top weight and finished fourth to Furasi. owned by the Hon. W. R. Wynilhain. one of the many sportsmen whose lives have been given in the service of their country in the course of the present war. Ipiai mints first engagement as a three-year old was in tin- Derby, for which Gilpin held an exceptionally strong hand. It is true that Admirable Crichtou. which had won two of his four raits as a juvenile, had performed moderately in the Two Thousand: but the stable still sheltered Flair, which as a In -yearcihl had won the imperial Produce Plate at Keinptou Park, the Middle Park Plate and the Free Handicap with 126 pounds in the saddle!, ami which cantered away with the One Thousand In the early days e f nog, Flair, which was a daughter of St. Pmsquia nn.l Glare-, was to be the Clan-have n candidate for the Derby, which, more-over, die was fully expected to win. while spearmint was to be reserved for his engagement in the Grand Prix de Paris. Unfortunately, this plan of campaign was upset by the breakdown of Flair shortly after her Newmarket triumph. It was then decided that Spearmint should take bee place. His trainer gall pec! the colt with Hammer-kop and Pretty Polly and soon arrived at the eou-elusion that though Flair hail become a negligible quantity there was still hope of winning the- Derby. Then were others who thought like-wise and the price of .Spearmint gradually shortened until be became one of the leading division in the daily list of quotations. As the day drew nearer the confidence of those associated with Major Loders colt increased, thou-.h the wiseacres felt disinclined to believe that a stable si i uld be- able to supply an efficient substitute for the brilliant Flair. Spearmint nevertheless re tained a or mtlnent i osition in the market, albeit the- actual favorite was Lally. owned by Mr. YY. P.. Pnrefoy. Lally had carried off the Newmarket Stakes after a desperate- race- with Malua. with Gorges, which had won the Two Thousand for Mr. Arthur James, third, the OOtcial verdict being ".-hurt bead; head." When the horses faciei the- starter at Bpaosa, I.ally was qu ted at 4 to 1 against. Spearmint being second in demand at 0 to 1. with Saney second in the Two Thousand — and Malua both on the S to 1 mark. Whatever chance i.ally may have Maaeaaad was Jeopardised ley a slow beginning. His rider endeavored lo make up the- lost ground, but the effort had its effect upon the son of Ampbioa. and be was a beaten horse before the se ri us business had been entered aai a. Yhen a quarter sf a mile remained to be covered Plcton and Trontheck held the lead, with Spearmint in a bandy position. At one point Plcton, ridden by Mr. George Thursby, held a slight advantage, but when Maker on Spar- iiiint set ahem, the busiaess in earnest there was little doubt as to the result. Major Loders cheap purchase- winning comfortably by a length and a half from Pic ton. Trontheck be-ing third. Among those unplaced were Radium, Beppa and The White Knight, all of which subsequently attained eminence. A few lays later the- Derby winner competed in the race- for which he was originally intended — tie Grand Prix. On the strength of his Kpsoin success lie was an odds-n chance, and the go d thing materialized, though it was by only a neck that the unconsidered Briacoeur was beaten. The French champion, Maintenon. which hail wen the Derby of his native- country, ran badly, failing to finish in the first three. Twenty years had elapsed since an English horse had carried off the-chief French race, so that the success of Spear mint — a grandson of the previous winner. Minting — did not come out of its turn. Shortly after his French triumph Spearmint was afflicted with leg trouble, and as it was found Impossible to train him he- was sent to the stud, and he has already achieved a great measure of success as a sire. — "J. F. P." in London Sporting Life.
