Englands Most Famous Horses: Distinguished Career of the White Knight in Long Distance Cup Races, Daily Racing Form, 1916-08-31

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ENGLANDS MOST FAMOUS HORSES. Distinguished Career of The White Knight in long Distance Cup Races. There was little in the early career of The White Knight to suggest that lie would ultimately take rank among the most notable thoroughbreds of modern times. The White Knight is a son of Desmond out of Pelhi, and was bred by Col. "Tom" KirUwood. As a two-year-old his efforts were entirely confined to the Emerald Isle, in which he ran on three occasions. In his final race he was successful, beating Cracky Ice and a half dozen others in the Curragh Grand Prize. lli. commenced his second season by taking part in the City and Suburban, in which ho was set to carry tin? minimum impost. With his light weight he did not lack admirers, starting at 100 and i against, but he was not seriously concerned with the finish, the race being won by that Epsom institution Dean Swift. At the Xewmnrket First Spring meeting, however, he had no difficulty in securing a three-year-old handicap run Across the Flat, while over the same track a fortnight later he ran third to Antonio and Queen of the Lilies in tin; Newmarket Handicap. He was later one of the numerous competitors for Spearmints Derby, in which he was unplaced; but returning to the handicapping line of business, he ran third to Bachelors Button and P.est Light in the Manchester Cup. His next essay was in the Sold Vase at Ascot, which he won fairly comfortably from Achilles and Hauimerkop, both of which were preferred to him in the market. Then, after a lengthy interval. Ins was saddled for the Newbury Autumn Cup. for which he was favorite, and which, witli 10! pounds in the saddle, he won by two lengths from Spate. His reappearance as a four-year-old was made in the March Stakes at Newmarket, among his opponents being such as Keystone II., Gold Biach, and the dual "Jubilee" winner Ypsilanti. The son of Desmond proved too good for the opposition, winning by a length and a half. 1Ie earned further distinction at Epsom in Derby week, in which In; was one of four starters for the Coronation Cup, the others being Polar Star, Iolymelus ami Troutbeck. A nice little lot, these, and it was not altogether surprising that the "Knight" was the outsider of the party. This circumstance did not prevent him from winning, his nearest attendant, Troutbeck, being three lengths behind, with the odds-on favorite. Polar Star, last. By this time The White Knight had built up a reputation, and when Ascot arrived he was Unpopular fancy for the Sold Cup. for which he started at "evens." The race resulted in a dead-heat between the favorite and the French candidate. Eider. Halsey, however, objected to the latter on the ground of boring and bumping, an additional count being that the rider of Eider had caught hold of Halseys leg and tried to pull him oil". The stewards acquitted Stern of the latter charge, but decided that the objection held good in other respects, and Eider was consequently disqualified, Beppo being placed second and Bridge of Canny third. The Goodwood, Cup was a mere exercise canter for the Ascot hero, which defeated Madame de Soubise by eight lengths, with Malua two lengths further in the rear, and Challacombe and Golden Measure unplaced. He sustained his first reverse of the year in the Doncaster Cup, finishing third to Velocity and Bridge of Canny. lie was then put by for the Cesarewilch, in which he was handicapped to carry no less than 13S pounds. Despite this burden, however, the colt put up a great race, the only one to beat him being Demure, an animal of the same age. to which he was set to give forty-five pounds. The winner had been highly tried, and probably The White Knight recorded the greatest achievement of his career in running the daughter of Blairfinde to three-quarters of a length. At the Houghton meeting he met with another reverse, going under to Radium in the Jockey Club Cup. both horses carrying 121 pounds. This was The White Knights final race for the year. The White Knight opened his fourth and final season with a second victory in the Coronation Cup. in which he was opposed by Dean Swift, Ba-diuni. Succour and Nairobi, Mr. Joels old horse giving the most trouble, though he was beaten by a couple of lengths. Subsequently he won his second Sold Cup. On this occasion there was no sequel in what Sloan used to call the "objection room," the "Knight" making certain by racing home well in front of Kadium, Torpoint filling third position. The tables wore turned by both .Kadium and Tor-point in the Goodwood Cup, Mr. Leopold de Rothschilds horse beating the Maiitou representative by a neck, with The White Knight, on which slight odds were laid, third. Kadium, then at the top of his form, scored another victory over his Ascot conqueror in the Doncaster Cup, in which The White Knight was not even placed. The son of Desmond ran his last race in the Cesarewitch, in which he had to carry 110 pounds. Having regard to his burden he did quite welt in finishing sixth. In all he won 1 -1,157 pounds in stakes, while lie has already sired several useful winners, though none of the same racing merit as himself.- "J. F. P." in London Sporting Life.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1916083101/drf1916083101_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1916083101_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800