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WONDERFUL TRIALS OF GREAT HORSES. There arc some horses whoso sterling merit can lie fully gauged from their public performances, anil who were never realy trieil. Another class can be maile up from tliose whom it was perfectly useless to try. as they would never show within many pounds of their best form except in a race, Ijong Set being the most recent example of this type of animal whose name occurs to me. Then there is a third division whose lines were cast in pleasant places on the race course, inasmuch as they rarely had anything approaching their own class to l eat. and whose remarkable powers would never have lieen appreciated at their real worth but for the trials in which they took part. Last, and best of all. must l e mentioned those who were ripially good in private and in public. The subject of trials has always been one of the deepest interest to those who f.illow racing, and it is a singular thing that nine out of ten of them are iar more impressed with the wildest story that they may hear than with a performance, however brilliant, that they have actually seen witli their own eyes. To illustrate what 1 mean it is only neressary to mention the case of The Tetrarch. After he had given several proofs in his races that he was intinitcly the best two-year-old the world had seen since Pretty Tollys days, it only needed some fairy tale to i orsuade plenty of people that lersse had another juvenile equally good in his stable! Then, to pry a little way into the future. If all goes well with him, Pommern represents as nearly a certainty for the September Stakes as can be found in racing, yet the merest rumor of some marvellous trial having l een won by Rossendale, Let Fly, or even by the least formidable of his possible opiKinents would lie eagerly swallowed and acted upon by many people who ought to know better. It is only, of course, after a horse has retired from the turf that it is possible to ask his owner or trainer for particulars of any trial in ■which lie or she may have taken part, but the strict accuracy of the weights which I shall presently give may be absolutely relied upon, for 1 had them in every ca-e from the trainers own mouth, and in nearly every instance he had his trial book before him. I do not care to go back beyond the time when 1 began to follow racing pretty regularly, so I will make a start with Gladiatour. Although the mighty Frenchman was never lioateii after his two-year-old days, except when he essayed tile terrible task of carrying M 121b in the Cambridgeshire, which was won by Gnnlcvisuro — a fdly of his own age, to which "lie was asked to give 52 |K imds — it is questionable if he ever met a very high-class opponent either in Fngland or France. It may be, however. tb«t he was sueli a nonpareil that he made really good elass animals look like selling platers. The start of his career was anything but promising, as he was trodden upon in the paddock aw a foal. This, though it caused a very big and uglv enlargement on one of the joinls of his off foreieg, never gave any trouble to his trainer, but he always suffered from navicular disease, and was lame, on and off, all through his career, which makes his achievements all the more remarkable. At the beginning of his thrii-year-old season he was so constantly lame that he was blistered on both forelegs, which kept him in the stable for the whole of January and part of February, so that his preparation was naturally a vcr„v light one. He was not. therefore, really half lit when he won the Two Thousand Guineas, which will account for Archimedes run-iiintr him to a neck, wilh the roaring Liddiugton only beaten the same distance for second place. Between the Guineas and the Derby, however, things went pretty smoothly for Gladiateur, and the Irial he won BBeBBBi to lie almost too good to lie true. Throe fotir-jear olds took part in it, but Fille de lAir was the one that really asked him the question. The gallop was over a mile and a half on the Limekilns, ami Gladiateur was asked to give eight ]iounds to the winner of the Oaks of the preceding year, and 35 pounds to each of the other four-year-olds. He not only won, but in the words of the late Tom Jennings, who gave me all the particulars on the last occasion that I visited Lagrange House during his life time, "fairly made rings round them all." When it is remembered that this trial took place before the end of May. that Fille de lAir takes high rank amongst Oaks winners, and that she was at the top of her form, haying won three races in France and two in Fngland already that season, this was an almost miraculous performance. It scarcely needs a trial to testify to the extraordinary excellence of Lady Elizabeth, which must certainly be placed among the six best two-year-olds of all time. She was only beaten once in her thirteen outings as a two-year-old. and this failure was entirely due to the overconfidence of Iordham, who rode one of his very few bad races on that occasion. No one was more fully conscious of this than the great jockey himself, and "1 ought to have won many a length." was his self reproachful remark on his return to the Bird Cage. Yet none of the fillys victories give any real idea of her superlative merit, and to fully estimate this we have to carefully study the following trial, for all the details of which I was indebted to the late Joseph Fnoch, who at that time was John Days right hand at Danebury, and was entrusted with the management of it. Tp to 1 hat period the filly had won till five races in which she had taken part, but she had only had a neck the liest of a very close finish with an extremely mederate trio in the Salisbury Stakes, whilst Grimstou ran her to a short head in the Weston Stakes at Rath, and then, after making a deail-hcat with her at Epsom, was only beaten a head in the run off. These desperately Close finishes diil not at all suit the patrons of Danebury, who were betting in a style that has lieen unknown since their days, and prior to her taking part in the New Stakes it was determined to find out how good Lady Elizabeth really was. Accordingly John Day went to .scot with the rest of the horses that were to race there, and Fnoch was left behind to superintend the trial. The latter was out before three oclock on the Tuesday morning of the Ascot week- the touts at Danebury had much to contend with in those days -and the trial took place over three-quarters of the Stockbridge race course, ami resulted thus: Horse. Age. Odds. Fin. Latlv Elizabeth 2 S-10 1 Lord Ronald 5 9-0 2 Challenge .", 8-12 3 Iuntaloon 5 ... 0 The last-named was put in with a very light weight t make the running, but he was never able to get to the front. Lord Ronald showing the way at a rattling pace, with Challenge next to him. and Lady Flizabeth lying alior.L a length behind Pantaloon. This order was maintained until coming out of the dip. where the two-year-old drew up without an effort and won very cleverly by a couple of lengths. Challenge being a length behind Irfird Ronald, anil Pantaloon three or four lengths in the rear of the third. To fully appreciate this extraordinary performance of I.adv Elizabeths, which could evidently have beaten the five -year-old Lord Ronald at level weights, it is nee ssary to take I glance at the form of the trial horso. Lord Ronald, only a fortnight previously, had won the Salisbury Cup. a mile handicap in which lie carried top weight, and subsequently secured live other lines that season, in one of which he had M difficulty in giving M pounds to each of several two year-olds which preyed good enough to win in their turn. Challenge had not been seen i:i public that sea-on. but when he did make a beginning, about a month later, he won five races off the reel. Fven Pantaloon, tie ugh with a Teat her" in the saddle, lie bad never been able to get to the front for a single stride, bad won a half -mile handicap at Nottingham earlier in the year with M MB Ml his back. All things considered, and having regard to the fact that this trial took place as early in the year as June 4. I think that Lady Elizabeths li i ••nuance i iay he regarded as the most marvellous ever accomplished by anv two year-old. Baoefc took the filly to Ascot on the day following the trial, and she ran away with the New Stakes on the Thursday, the Marquis of Hasting having £10,000 on her. which wa~ probably invested at an avergage ■rice of 5 to 4 against. At the time of year v. rhu the trial took place the filly should have receded forty-two pounds from Lord Ronald according to the fcealo of weight for age. so that her Befeal of Julius at nine pounds hi their match in the October of the BBBM year will not compare with what she accomplished on Stockbridge race MM Mas after day Break on that memorable summers morning. The practice of trying yearlings seem- to have quite gone out in these days, but fifty fSBM ago it was almost universal, and doubt lewa aaveel n great deal of money which present day owners w.iste in paying forfeits that bare beea Inferred through making engagements for very moderate or worthless :ui::i:.-i Is. It was in I be Itoeemher of his yarling season that H-n.ol ran nske.l Ma tirst aajeattan. Captain Ma- lull ,-, „-i p.i.,; . most Pave formed a very high opinion of him for lie was set to give thirty-five pound- In |*| Idem ■ yearling filly by Newcataster out nt Triangle, which also belonged to Mr. Chaplin. Tbej were pal to aether over half a mile on tie hap or lie Bart Hills, and the colt won hy two length,. A couple of months later it must be reaaBMhtWd tli.it the Lincoln Meeting then took place in l" -l.r un i Problem won the Drothleahl Stakes fr m a ||. |.| which included lea ale Deans a name that I am sorry t note has. recently been allowed !• he repeatedi. Nnriiio. IVimiiImii Sail. P.oii ■:m:n, aad sewiilecii other*, and when ahe followed Ibis i j t • by U-ating llippia at Northampton it was quite evident that Hermit in ■ something altogether out of the common. Th • extraordinary racing ability of Magregor was also cllseover.il when he wa I J calling. He and Sunshine were tried at that age with the four year old Miss Hayes, which. though fairlv useful, was only Baked] to concede twelve pounds t each of the juveniles. The distance was three CaVkaaaa, Jauits Waugh was starter and Mr. Merry and Tass Parker acted as judges. When the trainer came up to his employer with the information that "the Macaroni colt lost a couple of lengths at the start" It was only to be met with the reassuring response, "Well, he won d- -d easy. anyhow." Some day 1 hope to have the chance of repeating the true and very curious story of Mac-gregor. which entirely refutes the popular idea that he broke down in the Derby, but leaves the mystery of his defeat in as complete obscurity as ever. Cremorne was probably tried more frequently than any great horse that I can call to mind, for his owner, Mr. Henry Savile, supported his own stable in no halfhearted fashion and, wisely, always knew the best or the worst of any animal belonging to him. His yearlings were usually galloped together a few days before Christmas and in 1870 Cremorne ran clean away from all the others over a distance of about three and a half furlongs. He was not tested again until the Craven week, when he, Lilian, and three others were asked a question by the veteran Reindeer. This everlasting gelding was then thirteen-year olds, but could be absolutely relied upon, and had shown himself to be in form by winning races at Lincoln, Nottingham and Crox-ton Park, in two of which he carried top weight. He was only asked to give seven pounds to Cremorne over five-eighths, but the two-year-old beat him easily by a couple of lengths, and repeated the performance at even weights in the week prior to the Epsom Summer Meeting. There was no need to try him again during that season, but soon after his neck defeat by Prince Charlie in the Two Thousand Guineas he was asked to give fourteen pounds to the four-year-old Ripponden, a task he accomplished with six lengths to spare. Now Ascot showed that the trial horse was in form, for on the Tuesday he conceded five pounds to Hannah winner of the One Thousand. Oaks and St. Loger of *he preceding year and ran her to a head over two miles, whilst on the following day he carried off the Hunt Cup with 100 pounds on his back, so it is quite clear that Cremorne, as a three-year-old. could have won that race comfortably with 119 pounds in the saddle, in which case Suspenders victory under 108 pounds would never have ranked as a record. Cremorne was only tried once more, but what he accomplished then put all his public performances, brilliant as they were, into the shade. It was when he was a four-year-old. the trial was over the last two miles and B half of the Beacon Course, and resulted thus: Horse. Age. Wt. Fin. Cremorne 4 130 1 Kaiser 3 100 2 Fhlan 4 112 3 Lilian 4 105 0 An unnamed colt out of Harlequins dam, ridden by the lightest lioy in the stable, was put in to ensure a strong pace during the early part of the gallop, and Kaiser, which only jumped in for the last mile and a quarter, tixik care that the s|ieeil did not slacken to the finish, but Cremorne settled them all with consummate ease, and won by four lengths. Ihlan was six lengths behind Kaiser, and Lilian had only just passed the Red Post when the winner was finishing. When it is remembered that Kniser had previously only been lx-aten a short head for the Two Thousand, and had run a dead-heat for second place in the Derby, whilst he subsequently landed the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot and four other aces off the reel, I think it must lie admitted that Cremornes performance in this trial was one of the most remarkable ever recorded either in private or public. I hav« no record that Prince Charlie was tried more than twice, this being probably due to the fact that, even from his yearling days, there was alwavs a weakness in his near knee, so that he required careful treatment. Thus it happened that he was never "asked a question" until the April of his two-year-old season. On the same day that Revoke was tried for the City and Suburban, for which he finished second to Jack Spigot, Prince Charlie was galloped with Cocoa Nut. The mare was then a five-year-old and was only asked to give the youngster ten pounds the correct weight for age was forty-seven pounds, over a little more than half a mile on the Limekilns. They got off pretty well together, but had travelled little more than a furlong when "The Prince" was so many lengths in front that the trial had generated into a farce, and Joseph Dawson held up his hand and stopped it. Cocoa Nut had not run in public that year, and the natural inference was that she was out of all form, but this idea was completely dissipated when she carried off a couple of races at Epsom in the following week, and Dawsons eyes were fully opened to the fact that in Prince Charlie he possessed what John Scott would have designated "a smasher." One day in the following July the colt went lame, and it was not until the Doncaster Septemlier meeting that it was discovered that this lameness was caused by the formation of a quantity of matter in the pan of the heel of his off forefoot. Thus he had not been able to do more than a fortnights strong work when he was tried for the Middle Park Plate on the Saturday before that race. The examiner was Mr. T. V. Morgans St. Vincent, a three-year-old which had just won the Portland Plate with 91 pounds in the saddle, and, in addition to Prince Charlie, there were three other two-year-olds in the gallop. St. Vincent T. French and Prince Charlie W. Hunt carried even weights, and fought out a capital finish, which resulted in favor of the former by a head. This was a remarkable performance on the part of the second, considering that he had 23 rounds the worst of the weights and was not half fit. I ought to have mentioned that the trial took place over the six furlongs by the side of the Bretby Stakes course. John Dawson was one of the few trainers who never kept a trial book, so that I am unfortunately not in a position to give any particulars as to* Galopln. which was probably little inferior to his great son. St. Simon. .*11 that the late trainer could tell me was that he was tried twice as a yearling op Side Hill, and did all that was asked of him upon each occasion, whilst he was estimated to be rather more than a stone in front of Petrarch, for. though they were never put together, they were galloped wilh the same tackle. As was the case with his illustrious sire, no one ever knew how good St. Simon really was, and the only trial in which, so far as I know, he ever took part was with The Lambkin, which took place a few days prior to the St. Ieger of 1SS4. which was won by the latter. It should perhaps rather be descrilied as a geod "Yorkshire gallop" rather than as a set trial. P.oth were three-year olds, and Archer rode St. Simon, which carried 1MB pounds, whilst "Ren" Loates was up on The Lambkin, which had IM pounds in the saddle. The former finished many lengths in front, and when just at the finish Archer touched him with the spurs he promptly bolted, and went quite half a mile before he could tie pulled ui. Truly. The Lambkin was a lucky winner of the St. Leger. for this gallop clearly proved that had St. Simon been in that race with 147 pounds to carry he would rome in alone!. The next horse of whose trials I have any interesting particulars is Persimmon. At the Lincoln Spring meeting of 1895 the Sudbrooke Selling Plate was won by Rags, a nippy .little two-year-old filly by Hambledon out of Thriftless, which got home by a head, with a big field behind her. Marsh secured her for 100 guineas after the race, and as she could always be U Bated to give her best form she proved remarkably useful in trying the juveniles at Ftrerton House. These all failed to get near her when trying to concede 14 pounds, until it came to Persimmons turn, and the first time that he had his clothes off he gave her 35 pounds and a beating. He was not tried again until a few days prior to the Goodwood meeting of that year, when he beat Igly, then a three-year-old. over five furlongs at level weights. Now. according to the scale of weight for age, Igly Bhaall have given 25 pounds to him, and the value of tlie performance was much enhanced by the fact that Lord Wolvertons colt had won a race at Hurst Park a short time previously, and in the following week carried off the Singleton Plate at Goodwood with 105 pounds in the saddle. Persimmon had a bad bout of coughing before the Middle Park Plate, for w hie,1 he ought not to have been started, and this and the race took a great ileal out. of him. Thus he was so backward during the early part of MM that he was never regularly tried for the Derby, hut on Tuesday. May 20, eight days before tie race, he gave SI pounds and an easy beating to P.alsamo over a mile. This gallop took place on Marshs private ground, in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, for whom a stand was specially erected at the finish. ISalsamo. which was a three -year old and belonged to the late Duke of Devonshire, was not far removed from the first class, as only a fortnight before the trial he had run Galeazzo 1o a neck for the Newmarket Stakes, P.radwardine. Ray Ronald. Labrador and nine others finishing behind the pair. Thus the performance of Persimmon was a great one. and a rough up with Safety Pin and Glentilt — two moderate horses, but genuine stayers — on the following Saturday convinced Marsh that a mile and a half would not trouble Persimmon. I have little to write with regard to bis great rival. St. Frusquin. His heavy lop, and the fact of his being a gross colt, made I-i in difficult to train, added to which he suffered from chonic rheumatism, and was constantly more or h ss lame. I have, however, the authority of Mr. Leopold de Rothschild for stating that when at his best he was always 14 pounds in front of his stable companion. Galeazzo. and this is interesting, because it will l o seen that, through Persimmons trial with F.als.imo, Marsh had a pretty reliable line of St. Frusquin. I am greatly indebted I*- Sam Darling for some extremely Interesting particulars of the trial* of "otitic More. Ard Patrick, and Slieve Gallion. The public performances of the first named of these • elebiitic ■ are a poor criterion of his real merits, far. though he gained the triple crown" in 1s97. that was anything but a "vintage year." and he I had comparatively Utile to beat. His trial fori the Two Thousand Guineas, however, enables a I fuir idea to be formed of the great horse he un- 1 donbtedly was. Charles Wood rode him in this, and he beat Kilcock. which was trying to concede fourteen pounds to him, by half a dozen lengths. Less than three weeks after this Kilcock. carrying 126 pounds, was only beaten a neck for the "Jubilee," so Galtee More could certainly have won that race with seven pounds more than the record weight of 110 pounds for a three-year-old under which Polar Star won exactly ten years later. The trial of Ard Patrick with Caravel for the Eclipse Stakes of 1903. in which he beat Sceptre and Rock Sand, was also a high one. They were only galloped over a mile, for the filly could not really get any further, whilst there was no possible doubt as to the ability of the colt to stay the extra distance at Sandown. He carried 133 pounds against here ninety-one, or to put it in another way, gave her thirty pounds more than weight for age, and beat her by a neck. It is important to mention that in each of these two last-mentioned trials a plater was put in with a feather-weight on his back to ensure a strong pace for the first half of the journey. Darling gives Slieve Gallion the character of being the speediest horse he ever trained, and a trial he won seems fully to justify such a testimonial. It was run in the July of his two-year-old season, and, over six furlongs, he gave seven pounds to the three-year-old R.icketter and beat him. There was no doubt whatever as to the trial horse being in form, for previously he had led his field from start to finish in the Salford Borough Handicap at Manchester, whilst, a few-days after the trial, he easily won the Stewards Cnp at Goodwood under 104 pounds. Thus it is evident that 119 pounds would not have stopped the two-year-old. Slieve Gallion. in the Goodwood race! As Flying Fox secured the "triple crown" and carried off the Princess of Wales, Eclipse and Jockey Club Stakes all in the same year, it might be thought a work of supererogation to write anything about his form in private, but. as a matter of fact, he had really little to beat in any of his races and it is only on his trials that we can estimate his real excellence. Thanks to the great courtesy of John Porter, I am able to give these exactly as they appear in the Kingsclere trial book. The first of them was run over six furlongs and took place eight days prior to the New Stakes at Ascot, which was the first engagement he fulfilled: FIving Fox, 2. 119 Moreton 1 Ameer. 3. 133 Dehbon 2 Frontier, 2, 119 Bundy 3 Sark. 2. 119 Boasley 4 Won by three lengths: six lengths hetween second and third and a length between third and fourth. This was a good, but not exceptional, trial to win and I will pass on to a second which took place over a mile at Kingsclere on April 15 of the following season: Flying Fox, 3. 130 M. Cannon 1 Frontier, 3. 121 Moreton 2 Batt. 4. 133 F. Pratt 3 Clean Gone. 3, 109 Gannon 4 Princess Mary. 3. 112 Rouse 5 Calveley, 4. 121 Debbon 6 Won easily by a half length, two lengths between second and third, three lengths between third and fourth, three lengths between fourth and fifth and a half length lietween fifth and six. A little analysis will show what a fine performance this was on the part of Flying Fox. He was about fourteen pounds in front of Frontier, which, in the preceding autumn, had just beaten Caiman at ten pounds in the Dewhurst Plate. Then he was able to give a year and a beating to Batt. which was a good second to Jeddah in the Derby of 1898, and which carried 112 pounds into second place for the Chester Cap, It wns, however, the fact of Calveley being last, about ten lengths behind the winner, which afforded the most conclusive proof of the excellence of the form, for in the following week, he ran for the Esher Stakes at Sandown Park, with 105 pounds in saddle. Doubtless on account of his poor show in this trial he was the outsider of the party of eleven, and 20 to 1 could be had about him at the start. Yet he won easily by a couple of lengths, and it was evident that Flying Fox could have scored if handicapped at about 126 pounds. The Eclipse Stakes was his most unsatisfactory performance of the season, for he had become sore from constant work on the hard ground, and it took him all his time to give three pounds to Frontier. It was, therefore, thought advisable to try him again prior to the St. Leper, and he was galloped over a mile and three-quarters on September 1 with the following result: FIving Fox, 3. 133 M. Cannon 1 Calveley, 4, 121 Moreton 2 This was won so easily as to leave little doubt that the crack had come back to his best form, and to make "assurance doubly sure" Calveley won the Great Yorkshire Handicap in hollow fashion five days later, carrying 119 pounds. When Cannon dismounted from Flying Fox after winning the Two Thousand Guineas he said: "This is the liest horse I ever rode." Moreton, on the other hand, who rode him in all his work, and should know more about him than any other man. never placed him in quite the same class as his sire, for, as he points out, Orrne was foaled in the year which produced such as La Fleche. Goldfinch and Watercress, to say nothing of lesser lights like Wiudgall, St. Da-mien and Polyglot. — Sydenham Dixon in London Sportsman.
