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TRIO OF NOTABLE MARES . -o Racing Careers of Throstle, Flair and Quintessence. Throstles Best Ilacc Is St. Lcgcr Flairs Mishap at Derby Threshold Quintessence Beautiful Creature. Of the classic filies of the past thirty years Throstle, Flair, Pretty Polly and Sceptre are certainly entitled to rank with the best, the last three especialy so. The prettily-named daugher of Petrarch and Thistle. Throstle, was bred and owned in partnership by Lord Alington and Sir Frederick Johnstone, both ; of which have passed over to the great ma- j j jority. There was nothing particularly brilliant in her two-year-old career, at which age she suffered a short head defeat from Speed, a beating from La Nievre and ran "nowhere" for the Kempton Great Breeders Produce Stakes, won by Matchbox, then in the same ownership. It was not until after the latter had run second to Ladas for the Derby that he was sold to Baron de Hirsch, who wished particularly to win the Grand Prize of Paris with the colt, but he was beaten a neck by Dolma Baghtche, somewhat unluckily, 1 1 think, for if I remember rightly he was slightly larne after his journey across the Channel. In the following spring Throstle was not much fancied for the One Thousand Guineas, and was unplaced to Amiable, Lady Minting and Mecca. She did not run for the Oaks and was receiving twenty pounds from 1 Amiable in the Coronation Stakes, when, after a tremendous race with Royal Victoria, she squeezed home by a head, the Duke of Portlands filly dead-heating with Jocasta, three lengths away. In this race j the heavy rain and mud with which he was I bespattered caused Morny Cannon to draw I two pounds overweight on returning to scale, but he was passed "All Right" by order of the stewards. Isinglass, Ladas and Ravens-bury finished in front of Throstle for the Eclipse Stakes, but she came out a winner from Maundy Money and La Nievre at Goodwood, giving weight to both and showing good form in the achievement "When tried prior to the St. Leger she made a big hole in her manners, bolting out of the gallop, if I remember rightly, and started at the forlorn odds of 50 to 1, while Matchbox, in spite of the odds laid on Ladas, was backed down to 2 to 1, Watts wearing Baron de Hirschs jacket. Throstle was regarded as a negligible quantity, although Lord Alington "threw away" a "pony" or fifty and at the urgent appeal of Sannon gave him permission to ride her "anyhow I like, my lord." Beyond all doubt she was a good mare that day, and galloping smoothly and kindly throughout effected a big surprise when she came with one well-sustained ! run from the distance to beat Ladas by! three-quarters of a length and Matchbox by j a couple of lengths more, at the same time j i turning the One Thousand Guineas fonn with Amiable upside down, GREAT WORK FOR MOKXY. That particular Doncaster was a great meeting for Morny," whose fine riding was j j the feature of the week, and was as much ! I discussed as the racing itself. Like his ! I father before him, he was a pastmaster in j j the art of race riding, but he fairly j excelled himself at that meeting by winning the Stand Plate on Rowellan, the Champagne on Rowellan, the Champagne on Solaro, the Great Yorkshire Handicap on Bushey Park, the Doncaster Welter on Lumberer, the Milton Stakes on Newmarket, the Juvenile Plate on Queen Saraband, the Lewis Plate on Matabele, the Portland Plate on Grey Leg and the Corporation Handicap on St. Ignatius, and some of his finishes were simply electrifying. It was one of Throstles bad days when she bolted out of the course while running for the Jockey Club Stakes, won by Isinglass, and after failures in the Duke of York Stakes and the Selection Stakes at ! Sandown, she bade adieu to the turf, retiring to the stud in the interests of the Duke of Westminster. She bred Missel Thrush and Songcraft, but was not a success, and died in 1910. Flair made her first appearance at Sandown in July, when unplaced to Sarcelle, Gingal and a colt by St. Simon out of Perfect Dream for the National Breeders Produce Stakes, but that was her only failure. Three months later, with an advantage of ten pounds, she took ample revenge on Sarcelle, which she beat decisively for the Imperial Produce Plate at Kempton and next at Newmarket acquitted herself in extra smart fashion when she readily upset a presumed certainty in Admirable Crichton for the Middle Park Plate, at the same time turning the tables on Gingal, clear evidence that she had come on appreciably since her first appearance. She next ran for the Free Handicap, which she won, giving twenty-five pounds to a useful winner in Galloper, and retired into winter quarters with a well-earned reputation as a smart filly. This was reflected in the following spring, when slight odds were laid on her for the One Thousand Guineas, which she won with such consummate ease that she immediately became favorite for the Derby, for which it was understood Sir Daniel Cooper had decided to run her, but unfortunately within a few days it transpired that one of her hocks had given way and her racing career ended. Not until then had the name of Spearmint been mentioned in connection with the Blue Riband, and no doubt the Clarehaven program was to keep him in reserve for the. Grand Prize of Paris, but in the altered circumstances he came out well fancied at Epsom, and not only won easily, but subsequently garnered the French spoils also. The double effort settled him as far as racing was concerned, for he could never be wound up to concert pitch again. Notwith-j standing that fine double event achievement: there can be little doubt as to which was the; ! better of the pair, and the careers of both! were cut all too short. For bloodlike quality, power and symmetry Flair was as near per-; fection as can be imagined, while her breed- I ing, by St. Frusquin out of Glare, by Ayr shire, challenged comparison with anything in the Stud Book. Thus no great surprise was caused when, after the death of Sir Daniel Cooper, for whom she had produced Por-phyris and Gallon to Gallinule, she, with her last-mentioned foal and covered by Min-stead, j was sold for the huge price of 15,000 guineas. I do not call to mind that any of her produce has yet accomplished anything startling on the race course, although her ! I j three-year-old Sentiment, by Spearmint, had a bit of form last season. A mare that has been generally overlooked, but which may conceivably have been quite in the first class, is Quintessence, a beautiful creature by St. Frusquin, always a favorite sire with Lord Falmouth, out of Margarine, by Petrarch, which was assuredly one of the handsomest horses ever seen. Her name is proof of the high estimate formed of her in her earliest days, and, better stlil, she lived up to the character by going through her engagements undefeated. True, she was not hard worked, her pitlic efforts having been restricted to three in her first season and the same number at three years old, but these include a classic victory. Her first appearance was at Ascot, where she gave a taste of her merit by running clean away from Kroomstad, Padilla and others, including Zinfandel, in the Forty-Fifth Biennial. Sermon stood but a poor chance against her, although beaten by more than a half length for the Exeter Stakes at the First July meeting and another hollow victory awaited her at Goodwood, at which meeting her first seasons activity ended, so that so far as she had not opposed any of the cracks of her year. For the One Thousand Guineas Quintessence was less fancied than either Baroness la Fleche or Skyscraper, but neither of them troubled her in the race, for which Sun Rose was second. Probably the best animal won, but it was an unsatisfactory affair, which led up to an objection by Prince Soltykoff to the start on the ground that the gate did not act properly, that tapes were broken and that some of the starters, including Sun Rose, were interfered with by being entangled in the webbing. It transpired that the protest had not been lodged within the time prescribed by rule and was therefore invalid, though according to the official report it was withdrawn, but there is an addendum to the effect that "owing to the gate not acting on the far side of the course Sun Rose, Hammerkop and Guigne were hampered and lost several lengths." It is clear, therefore, that Prince Soltykoff did not complain without reason. Quintes- sence was not in the Oaks and did not show again until September, when at Doncaster she beat Hammerkop -by four lengths as against the three which had separated Major Loders mare from Our Lassie at Epsom, but the Oaks was won easily. The fillys final appearance was in the Newmarket Oaks, in which she finished four lengths in front of Zara, to which she gave five pounds. Notwithstanding her breeding and racing merit, Quintessences stud record has been disappointing until recently, and probably the best of her produce is Clarissimus, a j two-year-old of great promise, by Radium, j that has run twice only and wound up with a meritorious victory in the Clearwell Stakes. "Vigilant," in London Sportsman.
