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GREAT RACE MARES OF THE PAST. Blink Bonny, Crucifix, Achievement, Sceptre, Virago, Pretty Polly and Other Stars. Lilian, which won the Queens Plato at the Newmarket Craven meeting in 1873 bv twenve lengths, mil in 100 races, neerly all from two to three miles, and. won forty-six of them in six seasons. .Mention of these hard-worked mares reminds one not to forget the St. Leger heroine, Caller Ou. of 1811. During six years racing she won fortv-four rices, having started in no fewer than eighty-six. The last really good mare in the nineteenth century was La Fleche, which won the Champagne Stakes beating Sir Hugo and other races as a two-year-old. As a three-year-old she carried off the One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks, the St. Leger beating Sir Hugo. Newmarket Stakes. Nassau Stakes. Grand Duke Michael Stakes, the Cambridgeshire and the then valuable Lancashire Plate. Yet for some reason she was defeated bv Sir Hugo in the Derby. As a four-year-old she won the Liverpool Summer Cup and Lowther Stakes, going still higher in 1894 by winning the Ascot Gold Cup mid Champion Stakes, which brought her winnings during four years up to 73,313. AVith all these famous mares in the past the wonderful Pretty Polly will stand comparison. Coming out in 1903 by winning the British Dominion race by ten lengths, she won all her other engagements, including the National Breeders" Produce Stakes, the .Mersey Stakes. Champagne Stakes, Autumn Breeders Foal Plate. Chevelev Park Stakes Middle Park Plate, the old-time Criterion Stakes and the Moulton Stakes. As a three-year-old she was defeated by Presto II. in France, but in England she was undefeated. She won the One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks, Coronation Stakes, Nassau Stakes then leat St. Amant which had won the two Ihousand Guineas and Derby in the St. Leger She also won tin; Champion Stakes. Jockev Club tup and Coronation Cup as a four-rear-old, then again won the latter race in 1900. but was unfortunately beaten, after a wonderful career, by Bachelor s Button in the Ascot Gold Cup of PJOIi. Even a great mare, in my opinion, than Prettv lolly, was the peerless Sceptre, which was undoubtedly the most sensational mare that ever ran Bred by the late Duke of AVestminster. she began her romantic career by realizing 0,000 when purchased by R. s. Sievier as a yearling in 1900. In the following year she made her debut bv an easy victory in the AVoodcote Stakes, a victory she fof- lowed up by winning the July Stakes, but was later defeated in the Champagne Stakes by Game Chick. After a sensational defeat by St. Maclou in the Lincolnshire. Mr. Sievier took over the task of train- ng Sceptre. She then carried off the Two Thousand Guineas, beating Pistol and Ard Patrick, and the One Thousand Guineas. Starting a warm favorite for the Derby she was beaten bv Ard Patrick Rising Glass and Friar Tuck. However, later in that week she won the Oaks in a canter. She was then sent across the channel, but after another defeat in France, returned to Ascot, where sin; won the St. James Palace Stakes, but during the same week was defeated by Doctrine in the Coronation Stakes. The Goodwood meeting followed, which gave Sceptre a win in the Nassau Stakes and another unexpected reverse. This time she went under to Royal Lancer in the Sussex Stakes. Here Sceptre had a rest from the race course, making her reappearance on the Doncaster Town Moor, where she easily vwin the St. Leger, beating both Rising Glass and Friar Tuck as easily as Ard Patrick had done in the Blue Riband. She was again beaten for the last time that season by Elba in the Park Hill Stakes. After a fruitless attempt to win the Lincolnshire Handicap of 1904. she was sold to W. P.ass for 8123.00.. For her new owner Sceptre won rich races. She took the Hardwicke Stakes, the Champion Stakes, the Limekiln Slakes, the Duke of Aork Stakes and the Jockey Club Stakes, giving Rock Sand fifteen pounds and the biggest trouncing he ever suffered. Only once in that memorable vear was she defeated. The race referred to was the Eclipse Stakes, when, after a deseperate race, she was just beaten by Ard Patrick, the pair having raced right away from Rock Sand. Here it must be remembered the famous mare had to run on the outside all round the Sundown bend. As a five-year-old Sceptre never regained her true form, and alter a defeat at Epsom and again at Ascot, she was sent to the stud, having won in stakes alone over 80,000. AVe have now seen what the famous mares have done 011 the turf. Undoubtedly Ladv Elizabeth. Achievement and Pretty Polly were the best of the two-year-olds. Sceptre. Virago. Achievement ami La Heche were one and all wonderful three-rear-olds. Then Sceptre and La Fleche wen; the best of the four-year-olds, but of all Sceptre hold the pride of place, and ranks, in my opinion, as the "mare of the century." In the classic races she did what others never accomplished by winning the One Thousand Guineas. Two Thousand Guineas, the Oaks and St. Leger. Formosa counts as a winner of these events, but in the Two Thousand Guineas she onlv dead-heated with Moslem. Then, again, did not Sceptre gain distinction by defeating Rock Kami twice? Rock Sand was a real good horse, a winner of sixteen races, including the "triple crown." "ot where was Rock Sand when Sceptre won the .lockev Club Stakes of 1903 with 1 10 pounds in the saddle? beaten four lengths with 123 pounds. Then, again, she set up a record by winning the Duke of York Stakes under 130 pounds. These extraordinarv things she did actually do, ami thus showed her superiority over all others in the past. Her stud future is before her, as is the case with Prettv Polly. Surely these two famous mares will equal La Fleche. which so far has given us John oGatint, Strong Bow and Baroness La Fleche. Among famous broodmares one cannot pass bv Emma, which gave us a brace of Derbv winners in her sons. .Alundig 1833 and Cothorstono 18-13. then added to this in her nineteenth vear bv a daughter which was the dam of AVest Australian 1833. Other mares that have bred two Derbv winners are Penelope, dam of Whalebone 1810 anil Whisker 1813; Flyer, dam of Rhadamanthus 1790 ami Daedalus 1794: Iloratia. dam of Archduke 1799 and Paris 1800; Arcthusa, dam of Ditto 1803 and Pan 1808; Morganette. dam of Gal tee More 1897 and Ard Patrick 1902, and his majestys Perdita II.. dam of Persimmon 1891! and Diamond Jubilee 1900. Nor should the claims of that remarkable mare, princess of AVales, be forgotten, for did she not breed in five consecutive years five own brothers and sisters, all winners Albert Aietor. Louise Aietoria. Aictoria Alexandra, George Frederick and Maud Aictoria? Above I have mentioned that the sixties was a remarkable decade for wonderful mares. This decade also showed up some of the best steeplechase mares that ever jumped a fence. Although the Grand National was first run in 1S39, up to the time when the sixties came in only one mare had won the Blue Riband of the chase, namely Miss Mowbray, in 1832. Then, however, the mares won four Grand Nationals out of a possible five. Auatis 1800 started the sequence, then came Jcalousv 1801 , followed after a lapse by Emblem 1803 ami Emblematic 18H. Strangely the two latter famous mares, which belonged to Lord Coventry, were own sisters, both were ridden by G. Stevens, and second place in both races fell to Arbury. London Sportsman.
