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ENGLANDS MOST POPULAR HANDICAPS. Historical and Novel Features Attending the Running of the Liverpool Autumn Cup. When the racing season is fast waning to its close; when the "classics" have placed some three-year-old thoroughbreds in a more or less conspicuous niche in the temple of equine fame; when the Cup horses have been discovered, if, perchance, there be any to discover; when the juvenile situation has been exploited, and public form has, as far as possible, appraised its relative value and pointed to the chances of certain juveniles in their second season the programs of the meetings remaining to be held consist largely of handicaps, and most of the weight-for-age affairs are of the i selling plate order. A new feature of interest is -certainly supplied by the Nurseries, -which have i occasionally been won by horses subsequently to greatly distinguish themselves, but racing folks mostly devote their attention to what remain of the leading autumn handicaps. The decision of the Cesarewiteh and Cambridgeshire leaves but t two coming into that category the Liverpool Autumn Cup and the race decided at Manchester on i the last day of the campaign on the flat. The ! Aintree event, like many another of its class, has ! lost some of its lustre in recent years, mainly owing to the decline of ante-post speculation, and I that is a condition not likely to experience any modification. But in the days of handicap "coups" it played a conspicuous part, and fortunes that t may not have been fair were sought to be re-. trieved by the aid of the Autumn Cup. Like its less important counterpart, run over : the same course in the summer, the Cup in November was established in 1850, and during the sixty years of its history some good horses have been i successful, though perhaps not so many as are associated with other handicaps that could be i named. A notable one was Sterling, which as a i five-year-old carried 130 pounds to victory in 1873 5 for the late Mr. F. Gretton. How good Sterling ; was those who remember the racing of that period 1 i i t i ! ! I t : i i i 5 ; 1 will be well aware, and at the stud he perpetuated his excellence in many directions. He had some good horses behind him when lie won, and, thanks largely to the fine riding of distance, got home a head in front of Louise Victoria, a. four-year-old to which he was giving no less than twenty-six pounds, with King Lud that seasons Cesarewiteh winner another head away third. It was an exciting finish to a, memorable career, and he was then, put to the stud at the substantial fee, for those days, of 100 guineas. Another close thing with which Sterling was concerned was the Cambridgeshire of 1871, for which he ran a dead-heat with Allbrook for second place behind Sabiilus, which won by a head. Allbrook a five-year-old under 93 pounds only, it may be mentioned, was regarded as practically unbeatable, and great was the disappointment of his party, who attributed the defeat to the indifferent riding of Allbrooks jockey, who was, however, matched against two such past-masters in the art of race-riding as T. Chaloner and Fordham, the last-named being on the winner. Sterlings owner also won the Autumn Cup seven years aftewards with Prestonpans, a three-year-old of good class, carrying 114 pounds. Sterlings performance, so far as weight is concerned, was eclipsed by that of the great mare. La Fleche, which had 132 pounds up when successful in 1S93. How good she was it is almost unnecessary to say, for there have been very few bettei mares in the history of the turf. Her owner, the late Baron de Ilirsch, had won the race the previous year with Windgall, and in addition to the Baron and Mr. F. Gretton, onwers to take the race more than once have been Mr. J. Merry. Mr. Jackson, Sir Joseph Hawley, and Mr. G. Edwardes, all of whom have gone over to the great majority after playing prominent parts in turf affairs. Mr. Merry was not long in making his mark in the race, for lie won it with Special Licence in 1857 and 1S5S and with Meg Merrilies in 1S59. In 57 and 58 the race was known as the Great Autumn Cup, and the trophy, value 200 soveregius was given by "the shipmasters, captains, and stevedores of Liverpool." Special Lie once was a useful gelding by The Cossack from P.ridal that had previously won such events as the Chesterfield stakes and Cheshire Stakes at Chester easily, and yet was handicapped at duly 77 pounds at Liverpool. lie won readily enough, and the following season was an unplaced competitor for the Liverpool Cup in July and the Goodwood Stakes before coming out again for the Cup at Aintree in November, for which he had 10S pounds to carry. He won easily for the second time, and, as on the first occasion, was well backed. He made no further attempt on the race, but in 1S59 was much fancied for the Cesarewiteh, for which he failed to get into the first four. Meg Merrilies, which won the Autumn Cup for the third time for Mr. Merry, was then a three-year-old, by Chanticleer sister to Moss Trooper, that had no form to her credit, and with the light impost of 00 pounds was made a good favorite. Meg Merrilies had won a few races as a two-year-old, but did not run again after her victory in the Autumn Cup. Mr. Jackson, who won in 1S04 and 1S05 with Tartar and Elland respectively, was the well-known bookmaker, such a prominent figure in the Ring in those days, and was associated with the successes of Blair Atliol and many other good horses. Both Tartar ami Elland were three-year-olds when they won anft carried the same weight SS pounds. The former was at one time known as Baktichi Serai jocularly christened "Back-kitchen Sarah" that had not previously won a race, though in another ownership he was liberally backed anil ran second for the Northumberland Plate won by Caller On. He won the Autumn Cup in a canter for Mr. Jackson, as well as another race the next year, but did no good in other ownerships to which he was subsequently trans-fered. Elland, on the other hand, was a good horse, and, as became a son of Rataplan and Eller-mine, a capital stayer. He had a successful time as a three-year-old prior to his victory in the Liverpool Autumn Cup, and after that race placed a couple more to his owners credit. He was then disposed of to Mr. Sutton of Lord Lyon and Achievement fame, for whom he won "no end" of races, including a number of Queens Plates and the Gold Vase at Ascot. Sir Joseph Hawleys two winners were The Palmer in 1SGS and Lietor in 1809, the first-named then a four-year-old and carrying 114 pounds. By Beadsman Madame Eglentine, The Palmer was" a horse with which it was hoped to win the Derby, which fell in such sensational fashion to Hermit, and he started second favorite without being placed. He ran for the St. Leger also without success, but, though failing in his attempts in the classic races, lie won less important stakes for his owner, and his victory in tin: Autumn Cup was achieved against a field that included a number of good horses, including such as Knight of the Garter, See Saw and Paul Jones. Sent to the stud after running once the following year, lie made some mark as a stallion, and his name often appears in the pedigrees of thoroughbreds of good class down to the present day. Lietor. the other Cup winner for Sir Joseph, won several events of a minor sort as a three-year-old in another ownership, and he changed hands after success in a selling affair at one of the Newmarket Autumn Meetings. Beyond winning a little handicap over three-quarters at Newmarket in April he had not earned a bracket before the Autumn Cup time, and was weighted for that handicap at ninety-eight pounds. Sir Joseph Hawley had another horse in the race that was struck out in favor of Lietor, and some amount of resentment at that action was aroused in certain quarters. Consequent upon it he was lampooned and, iis a jury subsequently found, libelled in the "Sporting Times" as "Sir Joseph Scratch-awley," which gave rise to an action at law. The "editor of the paper, Dr. Shorthouse, was his own counsel, and the whole affair created quite an excitement at the time. In the result the worthy but eccentric doctor suffered a term of incarceration as a first-class misdemeanant, and, the trial taking place in December, lie spent his Christmas in prison. To return to the race, Lietor won the good stake for -which he was backed, but did nothing afterwards except the following year, winning a match for 100 sovereigns against Vex, which was set to give his eight pounds over the Bretby Stakes course. In 1S70, it may be added, Sir Joseph Hawley had another try for the Cup with that good horse Rosierucian, which ran third under 120 pounds. One of the lightest-weighted horses to win the Autumn Cup was AVliinyard, a five-year-old, carrying only eighty-four pounds, in 1S71. Though a winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester, he had not, as his "feathc-r" indicated, much form to his credit, but scored as a four-year-old over a mile and a half at Hereford under eighty-seven pounds. The going at Liverpool on the day lie won was exceedingly heavy, and, a horse with large feet, he was able to plough through the mud and win by a half dozen lengths. He was well backed to do so, and started an equal favorite with Annie Wood, a four-year-old ninety-four pounds, the property of Mr. W. S. Crawfurd. The filly unfortunately fell during the race, and her jockey was much injured, the accident favoring the prospects of AVhinyard. He was by Lifeboat Truth, and belonged to AV. Saunders, who trained him at Hednesford. It was not an ideal place at which to prepare horses, but it sent out a fair proportion of winners in those days, nevertheless, and more than one trainer was located there. Saunders had a tolerably long string under his charge, and one of them was Indian Ocean, which did his connections a good turn when he won the Shrewsbury Cup at three years in 1S70, and the Liverpool Summer Cup, Leamington Stakes at Ararwick, and the Shrewsbury Cup for the second time as a five-year-old. AVhinyard, it may be added, changed hands after his victory at Liverpool, and subsequently became the property of Mr. Arthur Yates, who put him to work under National Hunt Rules, for which his conformation admirably suited him. Moreover, for a time he proved fairly successful at his new vocation, though Mr. Yates parted with him after winning a hurdle race at the defunct Kingsbury meeting. His new owner was the Duke of Montrose, for whom he returned more than the 115 guineas he cost, for subsequently lie accounted for several races on the Metropolitan circuit. A brilliant record in connection with the Liverpool Autumn dip was that of the Derby winner, Melton, to which it was credited in 1S80 as a four-year-old under 129 pounds, and he then rounded off a brilliant career by beating a number of horses of good class, to which he was present-i ing a wonderful amount of weight. Another "classic" winner was Thebais two years earlier. She will be remembered as the recipient of the One Thousand Guineas and the Oaks, and was six years old when the Cup fell to her share under 130 pounds. Like Melton, she had several good ones behind her, and made a gallant effort to score again next year when carrying 127 pounds. Though not in the same category as Melton and Thebais, Lady Kosebery has a notable record in connection with Liverpool Cups, as she Avon the Autumn as a three and as a five-year-old, though in different ownerships, arid the Spring Cup in 1891. The only other horse to take the Autumn Cup twice in addition to Special License and Lady Rosebery, was Santeve, which won for the late Mr. George Edwardes in 190S and 1909. An-r other winner of the nice showing a partiality for the course can be mentioned in China Cock, which ; won as a three-year-old in the autumn of 1913, and the following season accounted for the Spring and July Cups. Aintree Avas also to his liking in the early part of his three-year-old career, as he Avon the Earl of Seftons Plate over a mile at the Spring Meeting. London Sportsman.
