view raw text
ENGLANDS FIRST BIG RACE THIS YEAR. The first really important stake race of the English flat racing season of this year, the Lincolnfield Handicap at a mile, was run at Lingfield April 7, over an extremely heavy track with twenty-two starters. This is the substitute race for the Lincolnshire Handicap. It was won by the five-year-old horse Tap Gate, carrying 98 pounds, in a good finish with Lux and Stapleton. He was the favorite at 0 to 1. The Americans, Cheerful. Sandmole and Outram were among the starters. Of the race London Sporting Life of the next day said: "Two things, anil two things alone, militated against the Lincolnfield Handicap yesterday being an unqualified success — the light and the going. The former element ruined the first big handicap of the season from a spectacular point of view, while the mud handicapped the heavy-weight division. The colors could not be made out until fully half the journey had been covered, so dense was the mist that hung over the top end of the course. "There was evidence everywhere that the substitute for the Lincolnshire Handicap had caught on well, and no better result could have been wished for than the success of Tap Gate, with which an open policy had been pursued. Mr. Phillips well-furnished horse steadily overhauled Cheerful in the quotations, and was quite a popular fancy. Nothing in the field filled the eye quite so well as Clap Gate, though a paddock inspection revealed the wcll-lieing and handsome appearance of such as My Ronald. Sandmole — even if the latter was a trifle on the small scale — Salandra. Mount William and Soulouque. Lord Roseberys colt has good looks without a doubt, but his heart is not in the right place. Mount William was perhaps a little jolly.* Cheerful was never an attractive horse, lacking much in quality. "Stapleton was in a well -trained condition and liore comparison with his rivals in the matter of looks. King Priam sweated a little, more from excitability than any lack of fitness, as he carried plenty of muscle about his shoulders and quarters. Lux was brighter in his coat and altogether more business-like than at Lincoln twelve months ago, when he appeared tucked -up and finely drawn. That Lord Durhams big-framed chestnut was in the best of heart the race itself quickly went to show. He may not have strode out with the same freedom of stride as Clap Gate going to the post, for the latter moved with machine-like precision and carried himself in the race with the same easy movement. "As soon as the colors could be distinguished. Stapleton. My Ronald, Clap Gate and Lux formed the leading division, with Cheerful, racing with no courage in their heels. My Ronald lost his place before half the journey had been traversed. Thereupon Clap Gate closed with Stapleton, Lux becoming extremely threatening to the pair as the stands were reached. From the distance a rare tussle ensued between the trio, though Clap Gate, one? having headed Stapleton, was not willing to lose the advantage without a supreme struggle. Nor did he cave in. fast as Lux was coming at him in the last hundred yards, and Mr. Phillips five-year-old reached the judges box a clever winner by a half length. "After the placed horses came a bunch made up of Zuider Zee a good fourth. Young Pegasus. Cheerful and Birdseye. a biggish gap separating these from the remainder of the field. My Ronald. Mount William. King Priam and Lord Annandale all cut sorry figures, apparently being unable to do themselves justice in the heavy going."
