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VIRAGOS DISTANCE RECORD English Mares Distance Mark of SixtySeven Years Ago Notorious Money Lenders Mare MareWins Wins Two Epsom Stakes on onSame Same Afternoon The worlds record for a double distance in one day is undoubtedly held by Virago an English mare which raced nearly seventy years ago agoAt At the English Epsom meeting of 1854 April 5 a threeyearold filly carrying the black and or ¬ ange cap of Mr Howard won the third race on the card the City and Suburban and on th same afternoon also won the fifth race on the card the Great Metropolitan The City and Subur ¬ ban was then as now run over a distance of a mile and a quarter and the Great Metropolitan was over a distance of two miles and a quarter The fillys name was Virago and she was by Pyrrhus the First which won the Derby in 1840 from Virginia which was by Rowton ex Pucelle by Muley and she is described as a great raking chestnut chestnutMr Mr Howard was a Padwick moneylender in a big way and was associated with tlie ruin of the Marquis of Hastings a reckless nobleman who lost immense amounts on the English turf Padwick bought Virago as a yearling and ran her into condition in cheap selling races in one of which she was entered as low as 150 His object was the Chester Cup for which he backed her so heavily that the handicapper gave her 21 pounds more weight than her performances warranted Padwick scratched Virago and lost his money and temper temperThen Then came the April 5 double Two weeks later at York Virago starting as an oddson favorite won the Great Northern Handicap of two miles from a field of sixteen The following day she came out again and with odds of 4 to 1 laid on her she won the Flying Dutchmans Handicap from a field of eight Then came an interval of eight days and May 4 she put the One Thousand Guineas to her credit beating Meteora and Honey ¬ suckle and starting favorite at 3 to 1 on After this she had a well deserved rest until Goo wood where she took the Cup and on the follow ¬ ing day with the cry Any odds on Virago she won the Nassau Stakes The following month Virago won the Yorkshire Oaks at York and the official count reads High odds were offered on Virago which Avon in a canter by two lengths lengthsThen Then Virago won the Warwick Cup over three miles with Mincemeat the winner of the Oaks unplaced behind her and finished up the season by starting at 15 to 1 on and winning the Don caster Cup in a canter canterThe The great mare did nothing great after her threeyearold career and was a failure as a brood mare In three seasons she won eleven races and 52100
