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ENGLANDS MOST POPULAR HANDICAPS. Interesting Occurrences Attending tho Many Years Running of the Cambridgeshire Handicap. Last Installment. "The Cambridgeshire of 1S03 was connected with one of the most remarkable incidents amounting to foul play that can be told about any race. Catchem Alive was one of the "good things" from Woodyates with which the late William Day was associated, and he was backed to win a great stake as a four-year-old with the handy weight of 9S pounds. It was a near thing, as he only got home by a head from an outsider in Merry Hart, and at one moment it seemed a still nearer thing whether he would get the stakes. The case is so extraordinary that it seems worth while to give the official account of it as it appears in the "Racing Calendar:" "When the jockey returned to weigh after the race the clerk of the scales found that the rider of Catchem Alive did not draw the proper weight. He was first weighed without a whip, and a whip was afterwards given to him, which was stated to be the one he rode with; this barely made him weight, and the owner of the second horse objected to the jockey being weighed with anything given to him after he got into the scales. The clerk of the course requested the stewards to come into the weighing-room, and they decided that a jockey not having brought his whip with him into the scale could not afterwards weigli witli it. and it plainly appeared that the jockey did not draw his proper weight. The rider of Merry Hart had been previously weighed and passed by the clerk of the scales, and the stewards were on the point of giving the race in his favor when the rider of Summerside which had finished third was weighed, and he was also found short of weight. On this the stewards directed the scales to be examined when it was found that they were not correct, and that some lead had been fastened on the bottom of the weight scale. When this was removed and the scales adjusted the stewards felt satisfied that the rider of Catchem Alive would have drawn his proper weight if the scales had been adjusted before he was weighed, and the clerk of the scales, on being questioned, having assured them that he had no doubt on the subject, the stewards declared that Catchem Alive was the winner of the race. A reward of fifty pounds was afterwards offered by the Jockey Club for such information as should lead to the discovery of the person or persons who had fastened the lead to the scales." The winner was the mount of Sam Adams, a popular lightweight of that time, who in after .years became a steeplechase rider and subsequently a trainer, and he, as well as his horse, was in trouble on that day. With other jockeys, he was reported by the starter for disobedience at the post, and suspended until 1S01. With regard to Catch em Alive, which was aptly named, being by Flat-catcher Rather High, he had run once as a two-year-old without success, once as a three-year-old, when he was unplaced for the Cesarewitch won by Hartington, and prior to his Cambridgeshire victory was backed and unplaced for the City and Suburban, and did no better for a small stake at Salisbury. The reward offered in connection with the Cambridgeshire episode had no result. Only once has the race been associated with a dead-heat, and that was in 1SG7, when it was awarded to Lozenge. That horse, then a five-year-old, was much of a class with Royal Flush, which won the Royal Hunt Cup in 1900, and, like Royal Flush, won many races in the north, competing in "no end" of them. The number of times he ran made him out one of the hard-wearing sort, and that he was a generous one too, his battle in the Cambridgeshire amply demonstrated. One of the men identified with his fortunes in the Cambridgeshire, at any rate was "Charlie" Head, a member of the ring as popular as he was versatile, and, as indicating the faith that was in him, he wore a lozenge in the band of his hat long before the race, and, of course, up to the day of it. It was a distinctly useful field in which Lozenge competed, and though he was only called upon to carry 100 pounds not ,a troublesome one for a decent horse of his age he was handicapped little, if anything, under his form, since he had won no event of much value or .importance. Sam Adams, referred to above in connection with Catch Em Alive, was his jockey, and. he was up against another fashionable lightweight of the day in Ken-yon, whose mount was W.olsey, a four-year-old with the easy impost of ninety-two pounds. The finish was worthy the reputation of both, and the pair were opposed by a great jockey in Fordham, to whom was entrusted the handling of Laneret, a speedy horse that had the call in the betting at the start, though giving away twenty-eight pounds, all but a pound to Wolsey. The lightweights made a dead-heat of it, with Laneret beaten a coupla of lengths, and for the decided 11 to 10 was laid on Wolsey. The odds were floored by a neck, much to the jubilation of the Lozengeites among whom were no inconsilderable section of public backers, including a strong contingent in the north, who did not forget the frequent good turns the winner had done them on many of their favorite courses. As a six-year-old Lozenge won a couple of races and seemed to get better as he became older. He created somewhat of a sensation at the Newmarket First Spring by bowling over the odds bet on Knight of the Garter for a plate over the Rowley Mile, and the contest incidentally gave occasion for a fine display of jockeyship on the part of Daley and distance two masters of the art of race riding of whom the first-named got the verdict by a head. Appropriately enough. Lozenge made his last public appearance in Yorkshire, though it was not an altogether glorious exit, for lie was unplaced for the Londesborough Cup at Scarborough. Sent to the stud at a moderate fee, lie made no mark as a sire, but at least passed on a reputation as a consistent and sturdy "handi-capper." When the elements arc in surly mood there are few more undesirable places than Newmarket Heath, and on many occasions weather of the most trying character has marked the decision of the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire. The day set for the Cambridgeshire won by llackness in 1SS2 supplied a specimen that has no equal in the history of the race or of Newmarket, and those who were present that- year retain a lively recollection of it. So violent was the storm that the big handicap could not be decided on the appointed afternoon, and the bald statement of the case given in the "Racing Calendar" conveys no adequate idea of what occured. The official organ says that "the last three races, including the Cambridgeshire, were postponed on account of a severe storm." As a matter of fact, nothing could withstand its fury. Beautiful weather overnight gave promise of a fine day for the big race, but in the early morning rain fell in torrents, and though later the weather cleared somewhat, an hour before the time set for the first event more heavy rain came, lccompanicd by thunder, and the wind almost blowing a hurricane. It was impossible to withstand the storm, hats and umbrellas were flying in all directions, and a cab was overturned through the violence of the wind. It was possible to run off five races the card contained- eight, inclusive of a match but just before the Cambridgeshire the storm had reached such a height that lightweight jockeys were helpless on their mounts on the way to the post, and the horses were maddened with terror. As a matter of fact none of them actually came under the orders of the starter, as the flag was not raised, and it did not take a long consultation ere the stewards decided to postpone the rest of the racing to the following day. That broke fine, and another instance of the vagaries of our climate was afforded when brilliant sunshine marked the whole of the days proceedings. There was a heavy card to take in hand, no fewer than ten races being down for decision, but the task was accomplished in satisfactory fashion. With regard to the winner, llackness had been engaged in the Cesarewitch as well as in the shorter race, and her name was mentioned as the likely winner of it even prior to the appearance of the weights. She was lightly treated as a four-year-old with SS pounds, but a hitch occured in the working of the commission though 10 to 1 was at one time taken about her and it was decided she should go for the Cambridgeshire, in which her impost was the same as for the longer race. She was" up against a thoroughly representative handicap field, included in which was Shrewsbury, a useful three-year-old with 91 pounds, that had beaten Dutch Oven the St. Leger winner and others for the Newmarket Derby at the Second October Meeting; but llackness had a lot in hand, and beat Shrewsbury, which started favorite, by three lengths. It is quite probable that llackness would have brought off the double event had matters gone smoothly in connection with the Cesarewitch, but her party, as it was landed a rare stake. She was by Albert Victor Cicely Hackett, and was the same year backed to win the Liverpool Autumn Cup and Manchester November Handicap, but met with no success in either. The following season she tried what she could do in the Cesarewitch under 102 pounds, and was again well backed, claiming favoritism at the start from Don Juan, a three-year-old with SO pounds. Each horse belonged to a clever party, and their representatives fought out the battle, which went in favor of Don Juan by a length. Despite her defeat, llackness was again well trusted for the Cambridgeshire, for which, however, she failed to finish in the first three. Fulfilling the role of the previous year, the daughter of Albert Victor essayed again to win the Liverpool Autumn Cup and Manchester November Handicap, but defeat was her portum in both. Though no horse has won the Cesarewitch twice, the Cambridgeshire records show that on two occasions the handicap has fallen to the same horse, and both scored in successive years Hacklers Pride in 1903 and 1904 and Christmas Daisy in 1909 and 1910. Hacklers Pride was well backed each time, the Cambridgeshire being the only races she won in her respective years, and that she was a good mare she further showed by several successes as a five-year-old, though the races she took were mostly of minor value and did not include a handicap, nor was an effort made to capture the Cambridgeshire for the third time. Purchased by the late Sir Tatton Sykes, some of her victories were achieved under his colors, but when sent to the stud she produced nothing of much note, though she had useful representatives in Brancepeth and Sobieski. Much was thought of the last-named at one time, and he was considered good enough to send over for the Grand Prize of Paris in 1911, for which he was unplaced. Christmas Daisy won easily each time, as a four and five-year-old, with much profit to his connections, but after his second victory bade good-bye to English race-courses. Sent to France, the following January, he was one of the field for the Grand Hurdle Bace at Monte Carlo and started a good favorite, but was unplaced. This was his final appearance under silk, and the last heard of him was as a hunter over here a season or so ago. Loudon Sportsman.
