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MAJOR BELMONT FAVORS IMPORTATIONS Instances the Success of Hourless and Omar Khay ¬ yam lo Support Views Dr M 31 Leach who a number of years ago came over here from America has recently ex ¬ pressed his opinion that while favoring the im ¬ portation of Britishbred sires and brood mares lie considered it a mistake to bring in foreignbred horses for racing purposes after their fpalhood Major August Belmont the chairman of the Xew York Jockey Club and owner incidentally of Nor ¬ man III winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Tracery winner of the Doncaster St Leger has since then expressed his unqualified opinion that Dr Leachs contention was harmful and not founded on fact While admitting that acclimatization particularly in connection with horses imported in recent years from France occasionally took a long time Major Belmont stated that in normal times the position taken up by Dr Leach could not ba sustained Major Belmont pointed out that Ilonr less and Omar Khayyam were recent instances which unset Dr Leachs contention about the im ¬ portation of horses that had passed the stage of foalhood when they were imported into America and added that instead of discouraging the importa ¬ tion of horses for racing purposes it should be encouraged Hourless and Omar Khayyam were not the only winners imported lifter they had ceased to be foals Short Grass for example was a winner hore at the age of six years before he was exported to the States and he was a good winner out there before he retired to the stud So too was Whisk Broom which although of American origin had won highclass races here prior to re tirning o his native land where he afterward won big handicans The whole question of acclimatiza ¬ tion to my mind to some extent depends uiwn the individuality of tlie horses concerned whether it relates to horses sent to or coming from the States Iroquois and Foxhall wore both great win ¬ ners here after importation from the United States of America and so were the great geldings Parola and Democrat the latter of which won nearly 60 COO here as a twoyearold winning seven races out of eleven inclusive of the Middle Park and Dew hurst Plates for the late Lord William Beresford and his racing partner Mr Lorillard Some horses come to their form earlier than others and this also applies to horses sent to Ireland where if tiojvdo act win at once it M nietimes nietimesrtakc3 = rtakc3 aaiy = weeks before a horse runs up to his Eiglish form Vigilant in London Sportsman
