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WILD ASTER AT SIXTEEN STILL RACING. Wild Aster, the horse on which the late Lieut. Percy Woodland sroa so many races la his own Biota, is still at work hurdle racing in England, though be will be sixteen years old next ureek. Two or three years ago be was condemned to be shot, it being supposed that his already long career was ended. Mace that time he has run a good many races, and last season was second four con -necutive times, beaten short beads and a neck. One f his .meat p Tformancea was a dead heat in a 0. rare al Nice, but certain Canadians will remember the old fellow for his win of the Irix Ifarise at Auteull one glorious November day eight years ago. which. Incidentally, helped to pay the 1 xpenses of a contingent of the Olympic lacrosse team on their side trip to Paris. "M. le lroprie taire" rode, and that was the last time I saw this splendid horseman, who exchanged the white jacket and black sash for the khr-iki and now lies in an unknown grave ia Syria. Wild Aster was one of thirteen starters, and r. turned a BMtUel dividend at the rate of better than twenty to one. At AntenU all the racing *s over obstacles, and there one saw the cream of French cross -country horses as fine as anywhere in the world, with the exception, perhaps, of Ireland. Contrary to the practice in this country, horses raciag through the field both in France and England, are allowed the us,- of blinkers. and mai.y trainers take advantage of the pern banon. One of the runners that afternoon, but ia another event, was If. James rlenneasys Latteur III., which went to England Cie following spring, and won tht Liverpool Grand National Bteeplechase. On thai occasion be was boa tea by I stable companion. Agripaa 11. Another recollection of that afternoon w s the sight of a Clement-Bayard airship sailing above the 1 ac • eOHfse, thus early giving hint of he mastery of too air that France has demonstrated t« sum effect during the war. Wild Aster is a sou of Victor Wild Astoria, and one of the few of the progeny of the undoubtedly good bene, Ids sire, to amount to anything. It was not. however, until Wild Aster went to hurdling that he developed his n er:t. He was a failure on the flat and earned less than a thousand dollars in five seasons of effort in that line. -Francis Nelson in Toronto Glebe,
