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PRESENT ENGLISH TWO-YEAR-OLD FORM Polymelus Daughter Benevente. Pronounced the Best of the Year by an Expert. The wretched weather and state of the ground were so unfavorable for two-year-old racing at our meeting last week that it is quite likely some of the running may have been wrong. Many of our most astute judges were hunting about in the paddock for horses with the largest feet. This in several cases proved an excellent guide, and there was certainly no two-year-old with bigg-r feet than Benevente, or than Sunny Jane among the three-year-olds. At the same time, it is probable that Benevente is the best two-year-old yet seen out, and there is no reason to suppose that she is not just as good on the top of the ground. In fact, it was on hard ground that she accomplished such a high trial with AH Serene and The Barbet, and I do not believe there will be anything to beat her this year. There is plenty of size about her, and she is a nuiet. sedate filly that takes nothing out of herself. I describe her when she won in the spring as the .image of that good mare Reve dOr, and there should be an equally distinguished career before her. In spite of her victory being one of the easiest of the week, she did not get off well and for more than an eighth she was apparently out of balance, but as soon as Martin got her steadied and settled down, she had the race won. It was said that she had been tried better than All Serene at even weights and more than two stone better than Tho Barbet, which is in itself good enough for anything she will have to meet this year. With Somme Kiss third we get a line of the best performers at the previous meeting, and the battle between that horse and Scatwell is not likely to be forgotten, owing to the fuss made over the race. Supposing Scatwell to be a little better than Somme Kiss, he would still be behind Benevente, and though I am not among those Who look upon Somme Kiss as likely to be coming on with his raging, he ran well enough against Lord Londonderrys crack, and confirmed earlier form. Promising Tredennis Colt. Then the form of the performers for the Princess Plate, a fortnight earlier is brought in by the Pernelle colt, Wilton, and the Cyclamen colt, who had finished close up to Sky-rocket, Sonning and Hillhampton, but they were nothing like so near to Benevente on Wednesday. De Mestre supplied the best colt running at the meeting in the shapely chestnut by Tredennis Clare, which had previously won in Ireland and collaterally he provides some line for Scatwell and Sky-rocket, with which he has been galloped two or three times. The home estimate between them is said to be seven pounds and, as -Sky-rocket was penalized that amount, itj did not matter which De Mestre ran. The absence of Shenley Boy was perhaps a blessing so far as backers were concerned, for he would have been certain of a large following. Taking a line through Anagram, Betsy Jane, filly and Resilience, which finished close up with Shenley Boy and Georgia previously, Shenley- Boy could have had no chance, though amongst his own sex he may be well at the top. The chief two-year-old races of the first day were the two Thurlow Plates, but in one of them Freesia carried a seven pound penalty successfully and looked able to have added another, though her nearest attendant, the colt by Chaucer Northern Flight, is wortli making a note of, for lie was somewhat interfered with at the start and there was a big band behind him, headed by Lanta, which was four lengths away. The other Thurlow Plate Jell to a strong colt of Mr. McGulTlos, Giant Killer, which is, like Benevente, by Polymelus, but in the previous week he was well, in the rear of Scatwell and Somme Kiss" and belongs to a different class. The Kingsclero colt Merovingian was strongly fancied and he was only defeated a neck, while Herself is about the best of Keg Days. Tliyme . was left at the post, which fact we must remember another day. On Thursday, the Saxham Plate produced a fine race between Lamia and the Betsy Jane filly, and they supply a line between the form of the previous meeting. Lamia had divided Freesia and Bridge of Weir,, whilst Betsy Jane filly was close up fourth to Georgia Shenley Boy and Anagram. All these horses which ran were right in the limelight again, for Bridge of Weir and Anagram fought out just as close a race in the Second Division of the Saxham Plate as Lamia and Betsy Jane filly had done in the First, the verdict in each case being a short head. In the battle between the fillies, Lamia did not appear to relish her task, though she held out just sufficiently . to win, but she swished her tail round and round as each call was made on her as if her career- on the turf might not be a long one. Anagram Accounted Unlucky. In the other race, the connections of Anagram thought liim unlucky not to have won; but whether it was from interference or a slow beginning, I do not know. He was near enough, I thought, in the Dip to have won if he had been good enough; but he was nn against a strongly fancied opponent in Bridge of Weir, which is trained in a stable which is in irresistible form, namely, that of Colling, who is one of the most open trainers in all matters respecting his horses, and he trains for one of the best in Major Kidstoiu which occasion-i ally gets a short leave from France,, and always takes the oooortunit.v of hating a look at his horses. Anagrams turn will come all right, though he Is not so good as I had hoped. Tlie appearance of the entries for the Dewhurst Plate and other races for the autumn meetings is not pleasant reading, for it marks the shortness of the season; but it show the views of owners and trainers respecting the merits of their two-year-olds. The colt by Neil Gow Pernelle, Nubian, Herself and Winsome Girl are Reg. Days, and the promising Parsifal is one of the kings. He is a remarkably fine colt by Bayardo, that I know can gallop; but he mny be too big to mature sufficiently this year. Viviani is apparently the best of Halseys; and Lord Derby can be represented by Ferry and Trestle. The former is an especially fine filly, with plenty of size and strong quarters, that might easily join the first class. Farquharsons best is evidently Foreground, and Pickering has hopes of Somme Kiss and the Sister Hilda colt going on all right, whilst he also has charge of the Irish crack Off the AVhite. Walters has only entered Silvanite. at present not so good as Anagram, and Tom Waugh has good grounds for anticipating improvement in Golden Balm. Mr. Sol Joels Champion. Sam Loates has entered Rivershore and Pandion for Mr. Sol Joel, and I can well imagine the newly-named son of Volga River making a high-class horse, for he is a big one and is a fine-horse at all points. The best of Collings we see is Bridge of Weir, and Lord Londonderry has entered Beaufort instead of Benevente, which may rest content with the Middle Park" Plate. In the spring, Beaufort was undoubtedly a better two-year-old than Benevente, and it will be remembered how he won the Fitzwilllam Stakes from Cattcwater, running away. He quite lost his form after this, and I saw him walking about shortly after his defeat by Syndrian, Hillhampton,- Sonning, and Thyme in the Newmarket Plate simply a shadow of his former self. But he has bqen doing well since then, and he is going to make a good horse yet. De Mestre is evidently uncertain which is his best yet, for he has entered both Scatwell and Sky-rocket with two dark ones in Alligan and a colt by Royal Realm Lady Lightfoot, though he is not likely to find a better than Scatwell and Skyrocket. "Warren Hill" in London Sporting Life.
