view raw text
R II g w ti s| hi b; by u is ti tl ct 15 S I. r: w o ei w ti n no u in n . y d | e a all tl a of u |, p t a ■• h N | p t ,, ;l ,j t ,| j, r • ti ;l [ n. i t ., s ., !, a t j, in ., ], i ■ „ t v „ j |, i j ,. ., ,. y. . :t | j , j „ v „ | , * I i t i i I I I I ■ • j I [ I ! ! RECORD OF RACES WON IN SEQUENCE Honor Goes to the Undefeated Mare, Kinesem, Winner of More Than Fifty Purses. That the question of which horse has won the greatest number of races in succession on the flat woultl crop up by way of aftermath to my investigation with ■ similar object of the |M rformances of steeplechasers, was almost inevitable. The subject has Im-cii taken up in his usual interesting fashion Oareth. iu "The Referee." He says: "What is the longest sequence on the flat? I am not sure that sixteen has ever been passed, but this not an assertion. Ormonde ran up to that score, tiiree as a two-year-old. ten as a three-year-old and the rest next season, but the gallant little Bard, his contemporary, won sixteen races beginning with the Brocklesby and winding up with the Tattersall Sale Stakes at Doncaster." In comparatively recent years, as he points out. Land League, anil iM-fore him Cabin Boy, won many races, hut Land Leagues biggest series of victories was only twelve ami that of Cabin Boy eleven. Another horse that, like that pair, won many 100 sovereigns plates, was Sir John Thursbys The Tartar, which in all secured twenty-eight races in his Ave turf seasons. His longest sequence, however, was more than six. Several Allies I can recall which won many races succession, th irliest of tin m Is-ing Lord Falmouths flyer. Wheel of Fortune. That daughter of Adventurer ran up a sequence of ten six at two years ami four in the next season before a breakdown in the race foi. the Great Yorkshire Stakes left Rupcrra to win and at the same lime put an end to her turf career. Chevalier Ginistrellis famous Signorina carried off her nine juvenile races and her contemporary. the Duke of Portlands Semiiitda. ran up a sequence eight IM-fore she was lirst beaten. The two big money -winners. Isinglass and Donovan, despite the huge sums they won. accomplished nothing approaching a record-winning sequence. After Isingass had won two races in his first two seasons Rat-bum beat him for the Lancashire Plate ami Donovans career as a juvenile was checked by both Chittahob anil Kl Dorado, so that his biggest sequence was live, while at three his surprising defeat for the Two Thousand Guineas | v Knthusiast kept his biggest consecutive run of victories down to six. ECLIPSE A CONSISTENT WINNER. "Gareth" is justified in his doubt as to whether the sequences of sixteen successes run un by Ormonde anil The Bard have ever lieen bt-nten, for at all events one horse, which like On le. was undefeated, won more races than either of those litter day fliers. That was Eclipse, the horse whose descendants in tail male have now for many vears past dominated the turf. According to all Cie" turf records to which I have referred, inclusive of "Bullys Racing Register" H7I«» to MM, "Tauu tons Famous Horses," Mr. Theodore Ctsiks "Eclipse and OKelly." and last, but not least. William Picks "Turf Register" Vol. " . which was pub-iishetl in ISO.".. Kclipse ran for only two seasons 17ta» and 1770. During those two years, or rather from May in the former to the Octols-r of the latter year, a IM-ritMl of just over seventeen mouths, the celebrated son of Marske Spil.-tta took oart in eighteen races, all of which he won. Only in one of his races did any tcuMiucnt ever show the slightest np|M-a ranee of equality, this lM-ing Bucephalus by Regain*, hut the effort of trying to make Kclipse really gallop, the words of Mr. CtMik. "broke Bucephalus heart ami he was never fit to race again." So great was the fear of Kclipse that he was allowed to walk over for three of his nine MCM iu 178 ami for five of a similar number in the following season. Thus he won ten races and walked over for the remaining eight. dancing at some other big winners of a later date than OKt-llys champion. I notice in Tauntons "Famous Horses" a remark that Ilamhletoniau tthe winner of the famous match against Diamond "was never iM-aten." That is not accurate, for although Hambletoniau won sixteen of his seventeen raeea, lie was once beaten. The race was a sweepstakes of 100 guineas each, half forfeit, at York. August, in 17SM . There were eight subscrilM-rs. hut only three ran. Odds of 7 to 4 were laid on llamhlc iouian. but according to "Ortons Annals." he ran out of the course ami finished last to Sir F. Staudishs Spread Kagle. which had won the Derby in the preceding year. Hambletonians biggest winning sequence on that icccunt is ri timed to eleven, and it was beaten hy Highflyer, the latter, which was purchased by Mr. Kit-hard Tattersall from Lord P.oiiubroke. wii.niiig ill the twelve races he ran for. Coming to celebrities of more recent date, one naturally recalls the many victories of Mr. Ordes mare. Beeswing, ami .iibsequentjy of Mr. T. Parrs Fisherman. Iiotli of which gained also lasting fame at the stud, tinman- Incoming the dam of New minster sire of Hermit and Lord iifden. etc.. while iu Australia Fisherman sired many good horses. BEESWING WON SEVENTY RACES. As to their doings on the race course. Beeswing won well over fifty events, inclusive of twenty -five •ups. from that at Ascot ami Doncaster downwards, mil nine Royal Plates. Her biggest winning .equenees were fifteen, nine ami eight. Fisherman MM the extraordinary numlM-r of seventy races in four seasons, after failing in all six essays as a ;uvenile. Twenty-six Queens Plates and nine cups were numlM-red among his trophies. His chief winning sequence, gained as a three-year-old, was twelve. In conclusion, some horse may jMissibly have run up a longer sequence of victories than Eeli|ise. hut when such animals as Beeswing and Fisherman cannot compare with the son of Marske iu that rcsiM-ct, should say that it will Im- difficult to find one to lower his .record of eighteen consecutive victories. Apparently llambtetonian, Ormonde ami The P.artl MM next, with sixteen successes running apiece, mil then Beeswing, with fifteen. — "Vigilant." in Loudon Sportsman. Without going deeply into the matter, it may be said that at least two great horses of this country have tied the Kclipse record. Boston won eighteen consecutive races, mostly at four-mile heats. Closer lown to this time the famous horse Hindoo also won 1 sequence of eighteen rai-es when a three-year-oltl ill ISM. Hindoos great son. Hanover, won the three races in which he started as a two-year-old and then won fourteen times as a three-year-oltl. making a sequence of seventeen to his credit. Luke Blackburn and Miss WtMiilford each won sixteen caeca consecutively. Colin, with fifteen races, ami Tremont. with thirteen, were never Mates. It may Im- that Planet won more races without, a defeat intervening than any of the foregoing, but the par.tic-lars of his racing are not at hand. But the greatest winner of all times and lands was the Austro-IIuii-garian mare Kinesem. This renowned daughter of tambnscan is credited with having won something more than fifty races without ever having been defeated.
