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ENGLANDS MOST POPULAR HANDICAPS. History of the Manchester Gold Cup and Marked Incidents Attending Its Running. Tt may be a moot point whether the sporting instinct is stronger in Yorkshire than in Lancashire, but certain it is that it has a firm hold on folhs each side of the Pennine range, and finds expression in many directions. The thousands of workers in the industries of the County Palatine affect a variety of sports and pastimes, and racing takes a prominent place among them. That is shown every Whitsuntide, when the popular holiday is entered into wholeheartedly and the meeting at which the Manchester Cup is decided always claims an enormous and enthusiastic company. The handicap has a longer history than most races of its class, having been instituted in 1S10, and in that year until 1833 a gold cup was the trophy to be won; from 1834 to 1904 it was a silver cup; in 1905 a gold cup was reverted to, and gold it has continued to be to the present date. The value of the race has also varied, but nowadays the whole stake is worth 3,000 sovereigns, and is consequently one well worth winning. In its early days the Cup was won by horses whose names are now forgotten, and not often met with in racing lore, but later it fell to the share of some that have left their mark in turf history and scored many a popular victory. Of such might be mentioned Rataplan brother to Stockwell, Saucebox, Underhand winner of three Northumberland Plates and other prominent handicaps Little Agnes and Cathedral. Since their day the race lias been taken by thoroughbreds of the best class, and one of the foremost was Isonomy, which in 1880 achieved the distinction of winning under 13S pounds, than which no higher impost has been carried first past the post. The nearest approach to it was the 129 pounds of Rataplan in 1854. The doings of Isonomy are tolerably familiar to those, who have taken an interest in turf matters for any length of time, lie accomplished his performance in the Manchester Cup as a five-year-old. and had earned the weight by what he had previously done. It was the more remarkable, however, from the fact that to The Abbot, a three-year-old, which he beat by a nock, he was conceding no less than forty-five pounds. The latter had some classic form, for he had run third to Petronel and Mun-caster for the Two Thousand Guineas. But there is little doubt Isonomy largely owed his success in the Cup to the masterly riding of Tom Cannon, and later, at Ascot, he got home the son of Sterling by a length for the Gold Cup from Chippendale and Zut, this victory finishing the career of one of the best horses that ever carried silk. When Isonomy won the Clip it was run for over about a mile and five-eighths, and this was the distance down to 1902, when the meeting was removed from New Barns to Castle Irwell, and the journey was reduced to a mile and a half. The change was notable for the success of Rambling Katie, which had won the previous year, but her performances contrast poorly with that of Isonomy. for on the first occasion she won as a four-year-old with 87 pounds up, and on the second only had eight pounds more in the saddle. "Katie" was not the only horse to win the race twice. Anti Radical was successful in 1S20 and 1821, Doge of Venice in 1822 and 1823, Guido in 1830 and 1S31, Ivanhoff in 1801 and 1S02, and Shancrotha in 1893 and 1894 in the latter year dead-heating with Red Ensign. In addition to the tie just mentioned, there have been others, for in 1804 Trust won after a dead heat with Oldminster, in 1807 Dunsany divided after a dead heat with Deceit, and in 1904 Scullion and Roe ONeill ran a dead heat and the stakes were divided. It will be seen from the various horses mentioned above that several owners have Avon the race twice, and there are others, who also scored twice but with different horses. Among them may be mentioned Sir R. Jardine, the late Mr. R. C. Vyner and Mr. L. de Rothschild, of whom the former claims Borneo in 1885 and Riversdale in 1886. To win as a four-year-old with ninety-nine pounds was no great achievement for Borneo, but Riversdale was a horse of somewhat better class. As a three-year-old he carried eighty-five pounds, and was well backed to beat The Baird, which had to give him n less than thirty-one pounds. As the latter colt would have won the Derby that year with Ormonde out of the way he ran that great horse to a length and a half at Epsom there was plenty of money for him for the race at Manchester, and he started with a slight market command of Riversdale. The game little son of Petrarch, however, found the task beyond his compass, and he was rather easily disposed of by the bearer of the blue and silver braid. It was no disgrace to be beaten under the conditions, and The Bard won all the half dozen engagements he afterwards fulfilled that season. As showing his sterling quality it may be mentioned that he was not beaten and won sixteen races as a Juvenile and as a four-year-!old was sold for 10,000 guineas to go to France as a stallion. He achieved considerable fame as a sire in that country, and was responsible for An- nita, which Avon the French Oaks in 1892, among many other winners. Mr. Vyners two winners were Lilv of Lumley in 1S91, and King Crow in 189S. The first-named had a useful record at about a mile and a half, and as a five-year-old, with only 9S pounds in the saddle, was well treated, which she showed by beating a good-class handicap field. King Crow, when he won, was a four-year-old, carrying 94 pounds, so that it was no great performance, but he had previously been successful in the Great Northern Handicap under 99 pounds, and that he was useful at a mile and a half or over he further indicated bv, after his victory at Manchester, winning the Northumberland Plate with 119 pounds, including a twelve-pound penalty. King Crow, which Avon a half-dozen races in all, is by Crowberrv son of Rosebery, and though his dam, Queen 6f Hearts, is not in the Stud Book, she belongs to the useful Galloping Queen family. Sent to the stud at a moderate fee, King Crow is the sire of such as Crow Cut, King Sapphire and several other Avinners. Mr. L. de Rothschild Avas successful Avith Cotillon in 1S99, and Lorenzo in 1913. Cotillon, by Hagioscope Mabille, was then a four-year-old Avith a some-Avnat dickered career, which had run in all sorts of races sometimes in good company Avith comparatively little success, but he had been forward on several occasions over a distance of ground. In the Manchester Cup he carried 115 pounds and won easily, Avith a fair-class field behind him, but accounted for nothing subsequently, and did not run after 1SS9. Lorenzo Avas also a four-year-old Avhen successful under the same Aveight as Cotillon. The previous season he Avas the winner of the Liverpool Autumn Cup. and in 1913, prior to running for the Manchester Cup, was a good third to Drinmore and Limon for the City and Suburban, and ran up to The Culler in the Chester Cup, for which he Avas much fancied. Compensation came at Castle Irwell, but Lorenzo failed to score afterwards, though backed for, among other races, the Cambridgeshire and the Durham Stakes at the Houghton meeting, and he has failed to earn brackets since his visit to Cottonopolis, though he essayed to repeat his victory in 1914. Loudon Sportsman.
