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p L al rt tl r b p I t fi tl r f w T t e .A " p q n o t d t .A v !! f . . t y , , a t c 1 : 1 i I 1 i I ! i 1 i I 1 1 i I I t ; I 3 - 1 2 s II 1 s ? ; "1 1 n e s e FAMOUS ORNAMENT OF ENGLISH RACING Cord Falmouths Notable Career on tho Turf and His Remarkablo Dispersal Sale. Throughout the period of sixty years or thereabouts, during Avhich it lias been associated with racing, no name has been more highly respected than that of Lord Falmouth and no colors, save only the royal purple and scarlet, more popular than the lilack. wiiite sleeves and red cap, Avliich first came prominently into notice Avhen "T. Valentines" Hurricane Avon tho One Thousand Guineas in 18G2. The filly beat Bertha and nine others, including the favorite Imperatricc, Avliich took her revenge in the Oaks, but avus in turn beaten by Feu de Jole. The assumed name was dropped the folloAving year, when the "magpie" jacket Avas placed in front for the Oaks after a hard race Avith Marigold, which succumbed by a head only to Queen Bertha. The second was afterward famous as the dam of Doncaster. The late peer did not bet, but made exception to the rule on that occasion and accepted .Airs. John Scotts both mares Avere trained by the "Wizard of the North" challenge of an even sixpence that the daughter of Kingston Avould Avin. The lady had tho worst of the betting, as Queen Hertlia started at 40 to 1, but the disparity in the odds Avas more than compensated for in the settling, the "tanner" being duly presented encircled Avith diamonds. No further classic victor came until ten years later, Avhen the horses Avere trained by Matthew DaAvson and the colors Avere enveloped with a blaze of triumph for the remainder of Lord Falmouths career on the turf. It Avas Cecilia that picked up the Avinning thread again in the One Thousand Guineas of 1873, and following in her footsteps came SpinaA-ay and Wheel of Fortune, the latter and exceptionally good and game mare although, curiously enough, she raced Avith her ears laid back flat on her poll, a habit which nine times out of ten denotes cunning. To these classic victories must be added those of Atlantic. Chari-bert and Galliard iu the Two Thousand Guineas; Kingcraft and Silvio in the Derby; Kpinaway, Jannette and Wheel of Fortune in the Oaks, and Silvio, Jannette and Dutch Oven in the St. Leger truly a fine record for eleven years. Tho Archer Connection. Atlantic Avas not the best of the select party above named, but his victory calls to mind one of the most important incidents in the brilliant career of his rider, Fred Archer. Avho was apprenticed at tho age of eleven to Matthew DaAvson for five years, and Avas only just out of his time. The budding jockey AA-as little; if any, above 84 pounds in Aveight Avhen lie Avas entrusted Avith the mount on the son of TJiormanby and Avon, beating Reverberation by a neck, a feat of horsemanship Avhich. having regard to his youth and Aveight, Avas talked about as a nine days Avonder. A close bond Avas thus established between oAvner and jockey, Avhich continued until the end, and it is fact that in gratitude for the kindness and interest, which assumed almost a fatherly character, bestowed on him by Lord Falmouth, Archer declined to accept from him a larger retaining fee as jockey than 100 pounds per annum, though the minor claims on his services in many instances were obtained by payment of thousands. Briefly, the jockeys career may be summarised thus; Starting in 1S79, he rodo two Avinners, succeeded by three Avinncrs, succeeded by three in the folloAving year and twenty-seven iu his third year, but after that he Avent straightaway to the front, and for twelve years in succession headed the list of Avinning jockeys. From start to finish he had eight thousand and eighty-four mounts, tAvo thousand seven hundred and forty-eight of Avhich Avere successful, showing the marvellous average of something a little better than one in three. And not less Avonderful was his record in classic events, which, commencing with Atlantic in 1874 and concluding with Ormonde in 18SG, included five Avinners of the Derby, six of the St. Leger, four of the Two Thousand Guineas, two of the One Thousand, and four of the Oaks, not to mention his triumphs in France Avith Beauminet and Frontln in the French Derby, and on the English horses, Bruce, Paradox and Minting, in the Grand Prix de Paris. The Stud Broken Up. Lord Falmouth retired from the turf in 1S83, and in the first spring week in the folloAving year at Newmarket, his horses in training Avere sold, the twenty-four bauds realizing upwards of 34,000 guineas. Strange to say, most of them turned out of comparatively little account, but bright exceptions were the two three-year-olds Han-ester and Busybody, of which the former was purchased for 8,000 guineas by Sir John Willougliby, and participated with St. Gatien in their memorable dead-, heat for the Derby. The colt pulled up so sore that lie AA-ould surely have been beaten in the decider if the race had been run again, but John Hammond magnanimously consented to a division. Sir John had a better-fancied candidate in the field in Queen Adelaide, which started favorite, but could only finisli third, beaten two lengths from the dead-heaters. Mr. Ahington, who was then resuming racing after a brief retirement, Avas anxious to make a start on the highest lines and, having secured the services of Tom Cannon as trainer and jockey, gave him an unlimited commission to purchase both the Heath House cracks. His Avas. the last bid in opposition to Sir John Willougliby for Harvester, Avhose doubtful foreleg stalled the trainer- jockey off, but he Avould not be denied for Husybody, a typical daughter of Petrarch, which fell to his bid at S.800 guineas, and a fine bargain she proved, as within the Aveck the filly got most of the money back by beating Queen Adelaide aiid winning .the One Thousand Guineas, while Cannons share in the transaction was further en-i hanced Avhen he rode her to victory again in the Oaks, in which race she again beat Adelaide, with Superba intervening. That, however, finished Busybodys racing career, as she broke down badly a feAV days before the St. Leger, though she added to her racing fame by producing a high-class horse in Meddler, which would probably have Avon Isin-: glass Derby had not the nomination been rendered void by tho death of Mr. Ahington. Lord Fal-r mouths brood marcs and foals realized 49,740 guineas, the stallions Kingcraft, Queens Messen-r ger, Childeric and Galliard making 9,100 guineas and sixteen yearlings 18,350 guineas, while the total amount paid for all his bloodstock reached tlie enormous sum of 113,535 guineas 90,392. The Present Viscount. All the qualities of character of the late peer, so deservedly popular, are inherited by the present Lord Falmouth, Avho maintains the Mereworth Stud and keeps the colors flying on the racecourse, though on a much smaller scale. Tlie racing policy followed is, as of yore, of the highest class, and rarely does the magpie jacket figure in other than the principal AA-cight-for-age races, Avhich will ac- . count for a comparathrely sparse record of successes, for it seldom falls to the lot of any OAvner to experience such good fortune in breeding and racing as AA-as the experience of the late peer. Classic victories AA-ere, however, achieved by Qulnt-e essence, Avhich Avas unbeaten on the racecourse, and Avon, among other races, the One Thousand Guineas, while Clarissimus, her son, by Radium, annexed the Two Thousand but did not run for the Derby of that year, and found Hurry Ori too good for him in the September Stakes. "Vigilant" iu Loudon Sportsman.
