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: . i , . I i : HANDICAP VICTORIES OF LONG SET. The record of the turf contain numerous instances of high-priced equine failures. Almost equally numerous are the instances of successful performers which have been acquired for relatively modest sums. The latter category includes that great handicappcr of a few years ago. Long Set. Mr. Sol Joel has been more than moderately lucky in his racing ventures, and his star was assuredly in the ascendant when he purchased Long Set out of a selling race. The subject of the present article was bred in France in 1007. His sire was Rabelais, a son of St. Simon Dalle Perdue, owned by Mr. Arthur James. Rabelais was a more than useful colt, and won several races, including tin; Goodwood Cup, while he ran third in Rock Sands Two Thousand. Long Set failed to distinguish himself in his early days. As a two-year-old he ran four times, running second in the Prix Eclipse and Prix Sala-maude, filling third position on one occasion, and being unplaced in the other race. As a three-year-old lie also ran four times in the land of his birth without recording a win. Subsequently e was exported to England. His first appearance in this country was made in a "selling" at the Second October meeting, in which he started without a quotation and ran unplaced. At Lincoln three weeks later, however, he cantered away with the Hainton Plate. So impressed with his performance was 3Ir. Joel that he secured possession of the colt, the prices paid being 500 guineas. Long Set first sported the green and pink striped jacket of the Rand magnate in the Lincolnshire Handicap of lJll, won by 3Ir. Charles Hibberts 3Iercutio. The son of Rabelais had nothing to do with the finish of this event, while he also failed in his four subsequent races, one of which was the Royal Hunt Cup, in which he ran second to 3Ioscato. P.y the time September had come round the colt had become acclimatised, so to speak, and in the Doncaster Welter he made short work of a good field. Later, he disappointed in the Duke of York Stakes at Kemptou Park, when greatly fancied, and as a consequence he was almost friendless for the Cambridgeshire, in which his weight was but !! pounds. He gave his true running in the big Houghton handicap, finishing five lengths in front of his nearest attendant, which happened to be 3Iustapha, which is still capable of winning races. He made his second essay in the "Lincoln" as u five-year-old, carrying 114 pounds, starting a second favorite to Warfare, and winning in a canter by four-lengths. He was now at the top of his form, and had no difficulty in carrying off the Newbury Spring Cup with 120 pounds in the saddle. In Derby week he won the Craven Stakes from Suuspot, but he failed to concede 22 pounds to Eton Doy in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot; while, with odds laid on him, he could only run third to Etheric and llarestones. to both of whom he had to give lumps of weight, in the Perkins 3Icmorial at Newcastle. His final effort for the year was made in the Select Stakes at the Second October meeting at headquarters. Whisk Droom was an odds-cm favorite for this, but the ex-selling plater got the better of a great race, and gained the fiat by a short head. Long Sot had by no moans become a "back number." although with 131 pounds up ho could finish no nearer than ninth in the Lincolnshire Handicap, while ho was also unplaced to Drin- more, Limon and Lorenzo in the "City." At the Newmarket First Spring 3Ieoting. however, he made Cantilever which later won the Jockey Club Stakes and Cambridgeshire appear a commoner in the 3Iarch Stakes, which lie won by five lengths, He then tackled Prince Palatine on level terms in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, but 3Ir. Pilking-r Continued on second page. t j i I i 1 ! HANDICAP VICTORIES OF LONG SET. 2 Continued from first page. tons celebrity proved much too good for him, win- .1 ning by three lengths. " A few weeks later he took part for the third , time in the Royal Hunt Cup, in which he carried i 122 pounds. Among his rivals were such well- known handicap performers as Santair, Bachelors Hope, Maiden Erlegli, Adam Bedo, Eton Boy, Cigar, t Outram and Diadumenos. Despite his heavy bur- . den, Long Set was one of the leading fancies, be- f ing quoted at 100 to 7 against. Mr. Joel was also represented in the race by Maiden Erlegli, the latter, who was ridden by Danny Maher, starting . favorite. The second string, however, proved the ; better, and defeated Santair. which was in receipt V of IM pounds, by three-parts of a length, with P.raxted who later in the week won the Woking- , ham Stakes beaten a neck for second place. This , performance is probably entitled to rank as Long Sets best. . His next appearance was in the Liverpool Sum- J mer Cup, in which he was set to carry 130 pounds. There were only four other .runners for this, namely. Bachelors Hope, Drinmore, Thistle-ton and lCnuck-na-Corriga which is nowadays racing in Ireland. Long Set and Bachelors Hope started jont favorites at 5 to 2 against, but the top weight had the better of the argument, win- ning by a length. 1 1p to this period Long Set had been confined for the most part to races over a mile or thereabouts, but at the following Doncaster Meeting he ; competed for the Cup. In this he was opposed only by Aleppo, an Ascot Gold Cup winner in embryo, and with odds of 2 to 1 laid on him Long Set won, pulling up by a half dozen lengths. Mr. Joels horse ran but once more, in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in mid-October. He again had one opponent, but this was the great Tracery. Nevertheless, the chances of Long Set were so highly regarded that but the slightest odds wen: bet on the St. Leger winner of the previous year. Mr. Belmonts four-year-old, however, proved his superiority by a six lengths victory. Long Set subsequently joined Pol.vnielus and other of Mr. Joels horses at the Maiden Erlegli Stud. Altogether lie ran on thirty-two occasions, winning eleven races of the value of nearly 10,000 sovereigns, not a bad record for an animal originally associated with selling plate company. "J. P. F.," in London Sporting Life.
