English Horses In French Race: Institution of Grand Prize Brought English and French Turf in Closer Alliance., Daily Racing Form, 1920-05-20

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ENGLISH HORSES IN FRENCH RAC Institution of Grand Prize Brought English nm French Turf in Closer Alliance In these unprecedented times when the destinies of mi inconsiderable portion of mankind are beinf profoundly influenced by a war that is convulsing Kurope and other parts of the world when as it result the future intercourse lietwceii nations will In HiMiiKid and modified and when horse racing In i resit Itriluin lias been so adversely affected and so arbitrarily restricted on its account it b an agreeable relief to recall the happy relations that have subsisted for so lonjj a period between this country and France in matters where tin1 thoroughbred Is concerned Since racing took serious root on the other side of the Channel stimulated and fostered sis it was by the infusion of Itritisli strains of blood an entente cordiale has cemented the two countries It took a gratifying and sub ¬ stantial form in the establishment of the Grand Irie of Paris for which horses from the British Isles were allowed to compete a breakaway from a system that had hitherto confined French races to Frenchbred eomietitors Since its institution a door has been thrown open in other directions and there were until the war dislocated all things in connection with the turf on the other side several good stakes run for tin an international tharacter lint tiie Orand Prize has always been by far the most important among them sind so enterprising were our French friends that it eventu sillv ranked as the most valuable event of three yearolds in the world Its institution had a far reaching effect in bringing about a firm Intel friendship and on all hands it was heartily wel ¬ comed by those imbued with a sporting spirit The invitation was freely responded to here many of our leading owners swelling the list of subscribers though the fact that the race was set for decision on a Sunday had a deterrent effect in some iiiarters iiiartersMore More than half a century has gone by since the Orand Prize was first run in lSt3 and it was an encouraging siugury for Knglish sportsmen that it should be brought to this country sit the first time of asking The winner was Henry Sa yiles The Hanger by Voltiguer out of Skirm ¬ ishers dam and the owner of the colt was a man who was for many years one of the most con ¬ sistent sind liberal supporters of the turf and one whose colors claimed no small share of popularity suiiong the general body of racegoers Though he could not rank with the best of his year when such horses as Macaroni sind Lord Clifden were running sind he hsul been unplaced for the Derby the iiality of his French opponents was not high sind the staying qualities Inherited from his sire stood him in good stead at Paris over the mile sind seveneighths Another Knglish horse in Saceharometer which had fallen when Tunning for the Derby helped to uphold the reputation of this country and finished third That the Grand Prize result wsis no fluke Tlie Hanger showed by his subsequent performances for he included in the races lie won the Great Yorkshire Stakes sind though not proving equal to the occasion in the St 1egcr sit Doncsister he took the St Leger Stakes later at Newmarket In IS4 it was fully ex ¬ pected that that great horse Ilnir Athol would follow in the footsteps of The Hanger lie had easily won the Derby in a brilliant field on mak ¬ ing his first sippearance in public but to the sis tonisliinent of his connections wsis readily disposed of by Vermont for the Grsind Prize by a couple of lengths Whether lie wsis upset by the journey across the water wsis never made quite clear but he wsis equal on his return to winning the Ascot Triennial Stsikes over a mile In Vermont how ever he was doubtless meeting a good horse which siflerwsirds won races over a long distance of ground With Gladisiteur in the field ICnglish owners were not represented at Paris in the following yesir and they would have had little chance with their horses in view of the qiisility of that son of Monarque which will be remembered sis one of the winners of the triple crown of the Two Thousand Guineas Derby sind St Ieger and a thoroughbred of un ¬ common excellence He is regarded by many as being on si par with such sis Ormonde and others that have made indelible marks on turf history but that is a point incsipable of positive decision lie rsinks with the best in any case but did not pass along his excellence at the stud and sis i stallion must be accounted a fsiilure fsiilureCEYLON CEYLON WINS FOR ENGLAND IN 1866 1866With With Ceylon in ISiMi the Duke of Iteaufort again brought the honors to Kngland sind after DKs tuiiriiel sin Knglish representative had been beaten into third place the following year the Marquis of llsist ings The Karl continued the luck of the horses sent over from this side He was a colt of good class that had been struck out of the sensa ¬ tional Derby for which his stable companion the brilliant Lady Klizahcth was so heavily backed only to be unplaced sind was not beaten thsit season lie won the Grsind Prize csisily and was siccoinpanied to tin post by Plueskin belonging to the Air Savile referred to sibove which was not in the first three On his return home The Ksirl won the Ascot Derby sind a Itiennial and the St James Palace Stakes sit the same meeting thereby dem ¬ onstrating himself a horse of no mesm calibre In 1 Mr Savile was again in the field with Hysh wortli which had aspired to Derby honors without success sind to get third wsis the best he could do but he showed himself useful afterwards sind at a later period in his career many will recollect he sis a steeplechaser carried the colors of Mr II now Lord Chaplin He was great ly fancied for the Grand National of lS i but was easily beaten by Disturbance and though he won across country he made si somewhat ignominious exit from the course in a hurdle rsice that wsis declared void at Lincoln in 1874 1874In In 1871 the race did not take place owing to the FrsincoGcrmsm war but the next year it again fell to Mr Savilc who doubtless encouraged by his success sit its inauguration was consistent in his support Cremorne was his winner sind fresh from his Derby victory he readily disposed of eight opponents one of which was Heine the winner of the One Thousand Guineas and Oaks which finished third six lengths behind Mr Saviks colt Cre ¬ morne which was by Psirmesan Higolboche had a distinguished career for lie was besiten but twice in eleven races sis a twoyearold including simong his victories events like the Woodcoti Stsikes Chesterfield Stakes and Champagne Stsikes at Doncsister but only knew defeat on two occsisions in his second season lie went under by a neck to the flying Prince Charlie in the Two Thousand Giiinesis sind the same distance separated him in the St Leger Stakes at Newmarket from Lsibur num to which he was conceding a stone In tin Derby he decisively turned the tallies on Prince Charlie sind simong other races that fell to his share were the Gresit Yorkshire Stakes sind the New msirket Derby Cremorne did not go into sinothei sesison but he had done enough for fame sind fairly takes rank among the best of Itritisli thoroughbreds At the stud however he f silled to get si elassii winner though he sired a number of useful per ¬ formers of which the best were Kermesse Hidotto Csimcliard sind Hoysterer that did good service for Lord Hosebcry He wsis silso sire of Voluptuary which wsis rather fsincied for the Derby of 1SS1 but rsill moderately After a not glorious career on the Mat he wsis relegated to crosscountry work sind made a name fur himself as the winner of tin Grsind National in 1SS4 1SS4DERBY DERBY WINNER DONCASTER BEATEN BEATENIn In ISTJ Knglish interests in the Grand Prize Were represented by Doncsister the Derby winner but though si good one himself he ran up sigsiinsl some French horses of the best class sind was relegated into third place by ISoiard sind Flag eolet of which the lastnsimed wsis in those days doing big things in this country for M Lefevre who raced on si liberal scsile both here sind in France Knghinds turn came again the next year with Trent the property of Mr W 11 Marshall who owned Shannon stud other good horses in his time sind this country was represented silso by Toma ¬ hawk which hsul that year won the Lincolnshire Handicap and filled third place at Paris Trent subsequently upset the odds betted on Apology for the Great Yorkshire Stsikes sind ran third when the filly won the St Leger a fortnight after wants Trent did nothing much as si fouryearold nor at the stud either but Doncsister will be remembered as a brilliant CUM winner and h achieved fstme as a stallion with the Derby win ¬ ner liend Or to his name thus passing along tin brilliance of the great Stockwell family familyIn In 1875 Chiremont second for the Derby and Camballo winner of the Two Thousand Guineas went over to represent this country but were mi placed and in 1870 Kisber the Derby victor had no difficulty in placing the Grand Prize to the credit of M A Italtuzzi The soil of Buccaneer can be regarded as doing duty for this country though Hungarianbred and owned by a foreigner for he was trained at Newmarket for sill his races and as a juvenile had shown his excellence by beating Springfield and other good ones for the Dewhurst 1late Count Lagrange who in 1877 had been suc ¬ cessful with Saint Chrlstophe one of his long string mostly trained in France essayed to repeat the suc ¬ cess with Insulaire in 1878 but had to put up with second place The spoils went to Prince Soltykoff with Thurio the parentage of which Cremorne dis ¬ putes with TIbthorpe though there is little doubt the latter was his sire Though beaten in the Derby for which he was well backed Thurio had previously shown fair form aud developed into u good stayer winning among other races the Alex ¬ andra Plate at Ascot sis si fiveyearold In 1ST the horses sent over from this country were a com ¬ moner mimed Scapegrace Ismstcl sind Cut the latter pair doing duty for Count Lagrsinge but they were unplsiccd and in 18SO came the victory of Hobert the Devil How he would have won the Derby but for the injudicious riding of Kossiter has often been told but the colt wsis entrusted to his handling at Paris nevertheless and there no mistake was made for he won easily by a length The name of Hobert will long lie linked with that of Pend Or and although the latter had the better of him at Kpsom revenge came in tin St Leger at Doncsister and the son of Hertram always beat the Duke of Westminsters colt over si distance of ground He wsis however i chsince horse for his dam Cast Off never threw another like him and he made no name as a sire sireAMERICANBRED AMERICANBRED FOXHALL WINS WINSThe The Americanbred Foxhall followed Hobert the Devil and it does not need emphasizing that he wsis a good horse Before going over to France Bend Or had readily beaten him in the City and Suburban and in the Grsmd Prize he only got home by a head from Tristan but his memorable double in the Cesarewitch sind Cambridgeshire scoring in the latter race under lilli pounds and giving no less than thirtyfive pounds to Lucy Glitters of his own age and nineteen pounds to Tristan is one of the best handicap performances on record He won the coveted Ascot Gold Cup the following year but on the last dsiy of the meeting went down before Fiddler for the Alexandra Plate his rsice for the Cup doubtless taking something out of him Bruce went over sind won the Grsmd Prize in ISSi after finishing fourth for the Derby the indifferent rid ¬ ing of his jockey in that race giving rise to tin greatest disssitisfsictioii on the part of his owner ind connections who had regarded success as almost a foregone conclusion In France F Archer wsis put up and some recompense for the Kpsom disappointment was forthcoming in a halflength victory from Fenelon si representative of the Duke of Hamilton that had shown some form In this country and was backed for the Derby Another Derby winner in St Bhiise followed in the foot ¬ steps of Blajr Athol by running second in 1SS and The Lambkin filled the same position the next year In ISSIi Paradox worthily represented this country and that he had credentials for the journey he had shown by winning the Two Thousand Guineas and only losing the Derby by si head to Melton It wsis by the same narrow msirgin that he won at Newmarket in the hands of F Archer sind to that fesirless jockey lie owed his defesit sit Kpsom Archer wsis again on him in the Grand Prize but his jockey hsid little to do in winning by si length the class of those behind him being moderate moderateThe The yesir ISSli savy the victory of Minting which wsis the best of his age bar one sind that one Ormonde wsis a host in himself Much to the sur ¬ prise of Matthew Dawson Minting wsis well lieaten in the Two Thousand Guineas by the colt from Kingsclere and the tale has often been told how it wsis decided in view of his obviously poor pros ¬ pects of turning the tables sit Kpsom to give the Derby si miss and send Minting for his engagement in the Grand Prize An esisy win in thsit rsice the field for which included the Oaks winner Miss lummy spoke still further for the merits of Ormonde in whose reflected light Minting may ilmost he said to have shone sis si threeyearold lie ran no more thsit year but the following sesi ¬ son won the Jubilee Cup sit Ascot instituted in honor of Queen Victorisis Jubilee and sit the same meeting hsid the bad luck to meet Ormonde igain in the Hardwicke Stsikes when smother besit iug awited him As a fiveyearold he put in the great performance of winning the Kempton Park Great Jubilee Stakes with 110 pounds up sind sit the nd of the season wsis sent to the stud sit si fee of 150 sovereigns sit which he promptly tilled tilledAfter After Mintings day si cloud came over the for ¬ tunes of Knglisli horses in the Grsind Prize which did not roll by for twenty years till Spearmint won in 1SHM5 ami it was something of si coinci ¬ dence that Minting should enter into the pedigree of the winner fnc he wsis the sire of Maid of the Mint Spearmints dam Not that no efforts were inside to bring the race over here prospect of doing so on some occsisions sind there is little doubt that the Havensbury in 1891 should hsive gone the other way It was however only in keep ¬ ing with the illluck of thsit son of Isonomy in whose path Isinglass so often stood in this country Karlier The Baron whose failure in the Derby Drought such unexpected disappointment to Heath House hsid been second to Tenebreuse and Crow berry the runnerup to Stuart sind following Hav ¬ ensbury Matchbox hsid failed sigsiinst Dolmsi Bagh tche while Velasquez the Derby winner of an second to Perth Since Spearmints successful journey Knglish horses have only been sent across on two occasions in 1SHO sind 1MO sind in the first of those ycsirs WiHiam the Fourth finished fourth to Verdun But in 1SI10 a combined stttsick was made by Bronziao Charles OMsilley sind Lemberg the Derby winner which were no match for the French horses and ran respectively third fourth and fifth behind Ntisige The war unfortunately stopped the sequence of the Grand Prize of Paris sifter 1914 since when racing in Frsince hsis been sit si stand ¬ still but with the sirrivsil of peaceful times French ind Knglish owners will be more than ever anxious to renew friendly rivalry in a race which has worked or the welfare of the turf in both countries and helped largely towsirds si cordial social siud political iiiiiierstsinding between them London Sportsman


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800