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LADAS ISINGLASS MERITS Noted Critic Avers There Was Little to Choose Between the Famous Pair. "Mankato," in some interesting observations on the subject of "class" in horses, says rightly enough that it cannot be fixed by any definite rule r words to that effect and he refers to an assertion of mine being long years ago that Ladas was superior in class to Isinglass. The fact that Isinglass beat Ladas for both the Princess of AValcs Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes is then referred to as against my claim of superior class for Ladas. The argument is a perfectly fair one, for it was difficult indeed to hold a well balanced judgment between two such colts as Ladas and Isinglass, the one a brilliant free goer and the other a slug, about which in every race that he ran there used to be heard the unpleasant shout: "The favorites beat." That, in point of fact, he was not "beat." did not relieve him of a certain amount of prejudice on the part of those who had, even for a brief period, feared they were going to lose their money. Nevertheless, allowing for all this ami my own great partiality for Ladas, I still think I can fairly assert that the two meetings between him and Isinglass did not constitute a true test of their respective merits. "Mankato" has neglelced the real crux of the argument, which is that Ladas had been trained for and won the 2,000 Guineas, Newmarket Slakes and Derby before he met Isinglass in July, and he was a colt which would always run himself out without being asked or making an apparent effort. He was stale when he met Isinglass, which had not up to tlvit time been started in that season. The late Tom Castle and I watched the race together about a furlong from the finish of the Bunbury Mile, and both, agreed before it was half over that Ladas was not Lathis. Tin; race itself was an absurd one, in which all tin; jockeys except Monty Cannon, on Bullinglon, lost their heads, ami the absurdity of the nice is proved by the fact that the eventual time was moderate. That is to say, an impossible pace wtis set by Priestholme, and the others except Bullinglon lay up with him instead of disregarding hint. Consequently, all but Btillington were beaten at the foot of the hill, whereas he was coming on with a long run, passed Ladas and nearly beat Isinglass two horses which would have lost him in a rationally ridden race, even though they had been asked to give him a lot more weight. WON BY WAITING. It was like Lord Clifdeus St. Leger, when, as John Osborne has told me. he did not really lose much start, but won because the rest of tin; Held went off at what he knew to be an impossible pace, and, bearing that in mind, he won. That Isinglass was a great horse admits of no doubt, and it may be that his reputation has stif-rerred through his being ridden by the short-legged, "poker-backed" Tommy Loatcs, who could not effectually ask him to go except by the "flail." Still, I am entirely unrepentant in my belief that Iidas was out by himself as a gentleman of class and quality when compared with Isinglass, and I know well that Mathew Dawson would have dearly welcomed a match between them when Ladas was at his best. Ladas was really well on the St. Leger day, but he ran away with Tommy Loates from just after passing the Bifle Butts, and his consequent defeat by Throstle was in no sense due to lack of stamina. "Ladas is the best looking horse I ever saw." said Mathew Dawson to me once on a time. On the other hand, it is fair to add that Jewitt said to me, when Isinglass was running for the Eclipse Stakes, "Nothing on four legs can beat him." Yet one attaches more importance to tiie dictum of Mathew Dawson than to that of Jewitt. Good old Mat. did not in those days go racing, save occasionally, but he was always there in bis brougham to superintend the exercise gallops of I-adas morning after morning. Felix Leach was his head man in those days, and after Ladas Middle Park Plate rode post haste to Exiling, where the old trainer was awaiting the news. "Well. Felix," said he, "how much did he win byV For I can see by your face that he has won." My own view of Ladas is that he should be estimated on his career up to the Derby, and that his encounter witli Isinglass and the failure of his jockey in the St. Leger should nut be counted against him. On the Leger point there is really no doubt, for Tommy Lyntes found on the Tuesday morning at Doncastcr that he could not hold Ladas, and tried to beg off the mount, but no other jockey was available. So left the matter rest. Both Orme and Ladas will always remain in my memory as cruelly underrated horses, though both of the highest class. The Special Commissioner in Iioudon Sportsman.
