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ENGLANDS STAR THREE-YEAR-OLDS. Chance that Danscllon May Prove the Pick of a Brilliant Band of Colts. In less than a fortnight we shall have before us the entries for the New Derby and Oaks, the Newmarket Cold np and the New Coventry Stakes, and these naturally will furnish abundant food far consideration. It is especially gratifying that there is to be an Ascot Cup substitute again, and why it was dropped List year. I have never been abb- to understand. Now. however, we shall find Hurry On. provided that all goes well with him in the meantime, given at least one opportunity to show his true worth from the standpoint of a Cup champion. The race, as was the ease when Apothecary won in 1*14, is to be run over the Summer Course, two miles, and II nly matter for regret is thai it has 1 n found impracticable to utilize the exact distance of the A-eot Cap. .lames Buchanans goad colt, however, is under no suspicion in the ssatter of stamina, and it will be mainly a ijuestion of the o. pin lily of the three year-old opposition. A change of location has | n determined upon with regard to the New Dl rb and Oaks, which are to be decided this year over the last mile :uid a half of the Cesarewiteh con -e. and here I am not altogether iu accord with the alteration in plans. At any rate, it seems to me to be highly desirable that the series of classic eon-tests, so long as they take place away from Epsom, should, for purposes of future comparison, be carried through under identical conditions as regards til course employed. Doubtless, however, gooil grounds exist for the decision arrived at by the stewards, and after all there is little difference between the July and Rowley Mile tracks in penned t» conformation. Thirty Nominations Called For. There have been the usual eritJehmM of the ruling liody on account of the Epsom entries not having been transferred en bloc, but such an ar rangeinont. even if strictly legal, would certainly be Inconsistent after the treatment of the snhpect in the tw pn vious years. Thirty nominations are stipulated for in each event, and so open was the juvenile situation at the close of last year that there can bo mile fear of the stewards exercising their option to cancel the contests, which would, indeed, be a calamity. After Pifinellas victory in the Derby, following on those of Tagalie and Btgnorinetta at Epsom during the previous eight years, it is reasonable to expect thai sua rs of all fillies with any pretensions whatever to classic merit will undertake tin doubh liability. In this connection it is interesting to note that Diadem, tin —double ib; 1" st two-year-old of her sex last year, was no; one of the in it Inn 1 Derby entry, bat it would !»• surprising ludeed, were she to be omitted from the new one. Fillies Which were originally engaged at Epsom included Molly Desmond and the Bwynford Marcbetta filly, and it is fair to assume that the former, at any rate, will be re-nominated. of the stlglnal Oaks entries Whiten ash. Ifargarethal, and Lamasermuir are also "probable a" far Derby as well us Oaks candidature under tic new conditions. The two latter, by the way. are both daughters at .1. ].. locis ■ I Derby winner. Banatar, while Molly Desmond, of course, is :l daughter of the peerless Pretty Iolly. one of the best of the long line of OaKs heroines. Danscllon a Good Stayer. Great interest will attach to the respective reappearances of such colts as Danscllon. Invincible. ami Gay Crusader. The first -named is a son of Chancer- -Tortor, and the surprise he sprang anon the friends of Knuteford and Diadem in the Hopeful Stakes at the First October Meeting will not be rradllj forgotten. He was. of course, in receipt of nine pounds from Mr. Halloas colt and six pounds from the filly, bit he won sufficiently asily to suggest that lie could have dispensed with the greater part of these concessions. Naturally. cariosity was general as to how he would acquit himself on tl.e occasion of his next outing, in the mile llongbtoa Stakes. Notwithstanding, however. Coq d*Or, formerly known as the Tabard gelding and which had beaten Grand Fleet. Sunset Glow and other smart ones in the Cleat well Stakes, was supported down to something less than half the odd- available about PaaseUon. The Chattis Hill youngster won again, however, and if it was oalj by a head that be disposed of the favorite, it is ■ 1 -ar ihat In- is possessed i giod stamina. With this much already In the good, then, he stands out as a colt rertaia to take advantage of any deficiencies iu this direction, of airich his contemporaries may be the vii tims. of Invincible, which is a beautifully -bred son of Polymelia Inheritance, there is no question a high opinion is leld. and as he was certainly improving a- tii sea dreu towards a clone, we iced not in- surprised if he comes out this year in even hotter form still, lb- began hi- pubic career by biking part in the Autumn stake, .ii the Third Extra Meeting this being the race in which Atbdara and Molly Desmond ran their exciting dead-bent. Whether Invincible would have proved capable of putting up a fight for the spoils was a question destined to remain unanswered, so be and three others were pulled up after going about a furlong, the riders concerned being under ti" Impression that it was a false start. Thus Invincible may be truthfully described as having takes no part in the race chosen for hi- first appearance. Invincible to Ee Held in Respect. That Mr. Ibid Walkers coll had pleased hi-tratner subsequently to this profitless experience •tat shown by tic way in which he v. as supported for the Union Plate :,t the Owl October fixture. He-.-e be w:.s opposed by a regular ti p of youuo Stem, all of which he beat, with the exception ol the filly by st. Girona Vuraebuah, which just lasted l.ng en agh to resist his challenge by a bead. Thereafter tin- sou of lol. melus did not know defeat, as he comfortably accounted for a big field of maidens in the Covcney Plate at the Second October Meeting, and later on put up an excellent performance in the Free Handicap in which he gave the much - fancied Brown Prince four pounds and a I wo lengths beating. The other runners wire Magpie, The Speaker. Whitewash. I.ainiiMTinnir and Count Warbler. BO that the strength of tic- opposition was certainly such us to deserve, respect. Invincible, i was glad to hear not long ago. has wintered exceedingly wi 11. and, all going well with him. he is more than likely to develop into a creditable representative of bis sire, the champion staBoa of three successive sea sons. The colt, then fore, is not likely to be omitted from the New Derby entry, and is. nionoer, tolerably certain to have a considerable following on the day. Improving Son of Bayardo. The third colt especially referred to above, Gay Crusader, is a son of Bnynrda -Gay Laura, and though his first appearance, in the Cloaruoll Stakes, was not associated with any remarkable effort on his part, allowance is always advisable on the ground of •greenness" for failure in an initial attempt. That the colt was expected to make I SUM sort of show was obvious from the fact of his starting fourth in demand to Sunset Glow, Minstrel and Grand Fleet, and if he was supportable at a much longer rate for the Criterion Stakes that was doubtless on account of his figuring in better-class company. It was a great race. Gay Crusader winning by a head from Molly Desmond, with Grand Fleet only a neck behind the par, and if there can be no doubt that the filly would have overtaken him in the next couple of strides, tin- fact remains that his performance showed him to lie coming on rapidly. Probably he will continue to do so. iu which event his entry into consideration for classic honors will have the effect of rendering the issue still more interesting than it is at this moment. Of the better known colts likely to figure amongst the New Derby nominations. Grand Fleet and Knntsford. sons respectively of Rachelors Double and Bwynford, both, of course, were right amongst the leaders of their age. though neither managed al together to steer clear of variations in form which were not easily accounted for. Athdaras Claims to Consideration. Everyone was glad when James Ruchauan announced his intention of keeping Atbdara to accompany Hurry On to Clarchaven instead of offering the son of Desmond — Lady Jess for sale with his other horses in January. This colt was perhaps unfortunate iu not winning more often than he did. as whenever defeated he was always placed. He began his career early, winning a race at Ling field iu the first week ill April, and if he sue. umbed to Knntsford iu the Bxeter Stakes, arter events disclosed the fact that there was no disgrace iu that. His dead -heat with Molly Desmond iu the Autumn Stakes might well have gone his way entirely, as hu was the maker of the division at a moment when the filly had just begun to weaken. Afterwards Athdara was beaten by both Margarethal and North Star in the Ruckenham Stakes, without, apparently, any good excuse existing, and he failed to stay the seven -eighths of the Dewhurst Plate — or. rather, it should be said that Telephus stayed slightly the better, as the verdict was one of a short head only. It is quit i flu- cards, then, that Mr. Baehauua may bo the proud |M ssessor of the best three-year-old as well as the best four year old of 1017. Tide nlius. which is by Spearmint — Chert Rcine, also, id course, comes well into the reckoning, and altogether the entry for the New Derby will be scanned eagerly. — "Our Special Commission" in London Sporting Life.
