Epsom Derbys of a Hundred Years: Incidents Marking the Running of the Most Famous Race of the World, Daily Racing Form, 1916-12-18

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EPSOM DERBYS OF A HUNDRED YEARS. w! Cil so Incidents Marking the Running of the Most Famous tr Race of the World. g: w and Sixteenth Article. q. "While the Derby of Volodyovskis year, which re formed the subject of the most recent article of m series, possessed several interesting features, w mt which immediately followed was even more notable. This was the race in which Ard Patrick je and Sceptre were chiefly concerned, and which re- in suited in the victory of the former, owned by Mr. tl the John Gubbins, who had five years earlier won the w greatest race in the world with Galtee More. Ard I "a trick was a brown son of the Duke of York f for Stakes winner St. Florian Morganette, which was a likewise the dam of the said Galtee More. . b Ard Patrick was allowed plenty of time to ma- tl tare, and it was nearing the end of the season of as 3501 when lie made his first appearance on a race-course. This was in the Imperial Produce Stakes a: at Kempton Park, for which, in spite of his lack a of experience, lie was made an even-money favor- ci ite. It was, however, only by a head that lie de- h he lea ted Royal Lancer, which was endeavoring to concede thirteen pounds. The following week, in . the Clearwell Stakes, he again met Royal Lancer, j, in Sir .1. P.limdell Maples colt on this occasion was , giving onlv three pounds, and was in chief de- t to mand. Ard Patrick again won, beating Ballantrae then known as the Abeyance filly by a neck, jj lie with Royal Lancer two lengths further away. At the Houghton Meeting, in the Dewhurst Plate, Ard 0 of Patrick was again Involved in a close finish, and this time the verdict went against him. Game t Chick winning by a neck. This was the last effort i of the Reckhampton colt as a two-year-old. j. Curiously enough, the juvenile record of Sceptre 0 of was similar to that of her great rival of the future, v the filly winning her first two and being beaten f in her third and final race. The daughter of Per- i it simmon Ornament made an impressive debut, j, it cantering away with the Woodcote Stakes at Ep- v som. while she won the July Stakes in equally r, facile stvle. Her defeat was sustained in the j, Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. in which she could r, only finish third to Game Chick and Csardas. Sceptre got early to work in the next year, being o cue of tin; candidates for the Lincolnshire Handicap, on the second day of the season. So much a a was thought of the filly that, notwithstanding the h natural prejudice against three-year-olds for the 0 Carholme race, she started favorite at 11 to 4 , against. Moreover, it was only by a head that she failed, her conqueror being the smart four-year Y old St. Maclou, which gave twenty pounds. Mr. Sievirrs filly then embarked upon her classic career, winning the Two Thousand by two lengths j lroin Pistol, with Ard Patrick, which had not been r it a 11 v trained for the race, three lengths further t, awav. Two days later she ran away with the One j Thousand, in which her old adversary. Game Chick, was unplaced. Her next essay was in the Derby. t To avert to Ard Patrick, Mr. Gubbins colt, short- j ly after his Guineas" defeat, turned out for a a nice at Kempton Park, which lie was confidently . 1 expected to win, as was evidenced by the fact j that he started at odds on. He, however, quite j failed to concede twenty-one pounds to Royal Ivy, . Mr. Leopold de Rothschilds colt winning by a j couple of lengths. Then came the Newmarket J Stakes, for which Minstead was favorite at evens, j with Ard Patrick second in demand. The son of St. Florian passed the winning-post a head in front , of Fowling-piece, but the rider of the latter lodged , r,n objection on the ground of bumping, and futher- , inure alleged that "Moray" Cannon had misused his j whip. In the end Aid Patrick was disqualified, , Cannon being exonerated in regard to the matter of , the whip. a It was not surprising that the filly was a pronounced favorite for the Derby, even money being a . the top price procurable on the day. Pekin, a colt of moderate credentials, but stated to have done j big things on the training grounds, was next best , at i to 1 against, while those whose fancy inclined towards the disqualified Newmarket Stakes win- ner could obtain odds of 100 to 1-1 against. The , weather was not worthy of the occasion, rain and j plenty of it being the order. The lookers-on were, , nevertheless, both numerous and distinguished. j When the eighteen competitors were dispatched on their journey. Sceptre dwelt a bit, and was soon , among the rear division. Fowling-piece was "mak- . ing it," as they say, with Robert le Diablo, Ard Patrick and Csardas well there. After a while Csardas took up the running, followed by Ard Patrick, with Sceptre, which had been rapidly mak- ing up leeway, fourth. When Tattenham Corner , hail been passed, Ard Patrick was in front, being closely pursued by the favorite, the latter going well, and apparently being able to take the lead . when her rider willed. A transformation soon came over the scene, however, for before the field had travelled much farther even the most optimistic among Sceptres supporters began to harbor doubts. The fillv was obviously losing ground. Meanwhile Ard Patrick was going resolutely, and some distance from home it was apparent that, barring an earthquake or something of the kind, the Derby would go to Reckhainpton. Nothing untoward happened, and Aril Patrick raced past the post three lengths ahead of Rising Glass, with Friar Tuck third and Sceptre fourth. The defeat of the favorite was a sad blow to the majority of those present, but the running of Pekin was even more disappointing to those immediately concerned, Mr. Prentices colt finishing no nearer than tenth. Ard Patrick ran but twice more that year, being declared the winner of the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot on the disqualification of Cupbearer, and finishing third to Rising Glass and Templemore in I the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket. Sceptre, on the other hand, ran in several races. Two days after her Derby defeat she beat Glass Jug, Elba and numerous others in the Oaks, but shu was beaten in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot, the Grand Prix de Paris, the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, and the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster. On the credit side were the St. James Palace Stakes, Ascot; the Nassau Stakes, Goodwood; and the St. Leger, which the filly won in splendid style from Rising Glass and Friar Tuck, the Derby second and third. Sceptre had another try as a four-year-old in the "Lincoln." but with 12f pounds on her back she , failed to finish nearer than fifth, the winner being Mr. "Teddy" Irishs Over Norton. Later in the year Mr. Sieviers filly and Ard Patrick renewed j . their acquaintance in the Eclipse Stakes, and after : terrific finish the Derby winner beat Sceptre by a neck, with Rock Sand, the favorite, well beaten. At that time Sceptre carried the colors of Sir William then Mr. Rass, to whom she had been sold for 25,000 pounds, while later she passed into the . possession of the Messrs. Tattersall, the price paid j being 7,000 guineas. Ard Patrick was also sold, the German Government securing the colt for 21,000 j pounds. To be continued.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800