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AN UNLUCKY RACE FOR TOD SLOAN. A French turf writer says that the late M. Ephrussis Jiorsa Codoman has been at the stud in Italy for seme time, but has not proved a great success. He changed hands last month, and is now owned by Signor ISoeconi. This is the horse which was beaten in the Cambridgeshire by the Irish horse, Berrill, when Sloan got into trouble with the stewards by openly boasting that he had baked his mount to win 60,000 pounds. The Cambridgeshire was always an unlucky race for Tod Sloan, and sixteen years ago, in 1900, the big Houghton handicap proved the first nail in his coffin, so far as English racing was concerned. After riding the French colt Codoman, to victory in the Prix du Conseil Municipal, Sloan formed such a high opinion of M. Ephrussis three-year-old that lie prevailed on those connected with him to put up the fourteen pounds extra and let him take his chance in the Cambridgeshire. That Sloan and Ids friends backed the "Frenchman" for a lot of money there was no possible doubt whatever, as more than one prominent commission agent knew to their cost. An informal Jockey Club inquiry followed. Before and after the race all sorts of tall stories and rumors gained currency. It was openly stated that means, not quite in accordance i with the rules of racing might be resorted to in order to gain a victory. This may have been nothing but the vaporings of the "man in the street," but certainly the Irish party connected with Berrill became alarmed, and though they had engaged an American jockey to ride their colt, altered their mind at the eleventh hour, and sent over post haste for native talent. This turned up in the person of J. Thompson, who, in those days, had only just started in the profession in which later on he became a shining light. Whatever may have been the reason for a change, in joekeyship, the judgment of the selection was not at fault, for Thompson obeyed his instructions to the letter. This was to jump off at score and make the best of his way to the winning pest. Also to avoid as far as possible any interference. The early betting was 100 to 8 against Codoman, whom Sloan had been riding at exercise at New-. market all that week, refusing several public en-i gagements. Despite the money that went on Codo-! man, he did not harden in the market. Probably this was accounted for by the fact that the general public did not take kindly to his claims, lie had 122 pounds on his three-year-old back, and on the "book could not be made out quite the same class as Foxhall, Plaisanterie or La Fleche, previous heavily-weighted, three-year-old winners. Then, too, money came in plenty for the much-overrated The Raft, while Capt. Bewicke and the Grateley party were on the war path with Little Eva. All the same, hopes rose high when the yellow-spotted, dark blue jacket took second place to Berrill ascending Bushes Hill. At the famous landmark Sloan gave Codoman a momentary "breather." Then, getting his elbows well out, as was his custom .when calling on his mounts reserves, he "set him alight" coming into the Dip. Irish cheers went up for the leader, and Codomans supporters shouted: "Go it, Sloan!" But Codoman could not go any faster, and thus a big adventure failed.
