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SRION KOFS TURF CAREER Young English Stallion Won the Derby in Record Time in 1920. Blood Lines Show Excellent Strain of Staying Ancestry Career of llorsc Marred ty Scries of Mishaps. Bred and still owned by Major Giles Loder, who inherited the fine stud founded by his uncle. Major Eustace Loder, Spion Kop was foaled on March C, 1017. As a yearling he joined Gilpins string- at Clarehaven and having come satisfactorily out of a gallop at Newmarket shortly before the colt was confidently expected to win the Hampton Court Plate at Hurst Park on Whit Monday, but he was beaten a length and a half at even weights by Pelops, with five more youngsters a long way behind them. At the Newmarket First July fixture ho received twelve pounds and a length and a half beating from Orpheus in the Fulbourne Stakes and then ran behind Envoy for the Mersey Stakes at Liverpool. When thought sure to win the Prince of Wales Nursery at Doncaster Spicn Kop could only be second to Firework, which, receiving four pounds, won easily ; and he occupied the same berth to SvTynburn for the Alington Plate at Newmarket and was also beaten three-quarters of a length by Tetricus, in receipt of six pounds, in the Free Handicap at the Houghton meeting. UNSUCCESSFUL FIRST SEASON. Spion Kop thus went through his first season without success, but he wintered most satisfactorily and began by making a tremendous example of six other three-year-olds in the Spelthorne Plate at Kcmpton. After this he was well supported by the stable for the Derby, but in a trial on the Racecourse Side at Newmarket, which took place over one and a half miles on May 22, the colt, which then wore blinkers, but did not do so at Epsom, was only fourth, that really high-class horse when he chose, Sar-chedon, winning by a length and a half from Paragon, the latter of which finished three lengths ahead of Comrade. In consequence of this Arthur Smith, who had ridden Sar-chedon in the trial, elected to do so in the Derby, and Frank ONeil was engaged for Spion Kop, the arrangement being that he should receive ,000 for the ride and an extra ,000 if he succeeded in winning the race. I cannot describe the contest better than by reproducing the following, written by mo at the time: "After three attempts, in one of which Marshal Neil broke the tapes, an excellent start was effected thirteen minutes past time, the first to show in front being Abbots Trace, which carried on the running in an extrordinary fast run race from the i favorite, Tetratema, till the latter was beaten before coming into the straight. Soon after-ward Spion Kop assumed the lead, and having the verdict safe from this point, won 1 by an easy two lengths from Archaic, which in turn beat Orpheus by a length and a half for second place." RACED WELL IN CORONATION CUr. Last year Spion Kop ran quite well in the i Coronation Cup, won by Silvern, and ended his career at Ascot in the Gold Cup, won by Periosteus, wherein he reversed his Epsom form with Silvern. An extended pedigree . of the horse is appended : . . fToxophilite Cr, .- Musket I Empress dam B Carbine.. -i rgl Jersey I fKnowsley Clemcnce 3 iUld pontine SsaT WS " Mint bVarble gsLfGm- fIS SniTena ?-3 o uule..."Wroorhen fHermit "2 J l.Astwiths dam lc mororbora- K-J"DCra f Thunderbolt Concus- J I The Golden Horn a - sion... 1 " ftWenlock K VAstwitn I Moorhens dam Winner of the Derby. tWlnnor of the St. Leger. WINNERS GOOD TIME. If ever a horse was bred to stay it is Spion Kop, and his sire undoubtedly did so, especially exhibitng this merit when lie won the Grand Prize of Paris after easily winning the Derby. The race in Franco ended Spearmints running career, while respecting Hammerkop, few mares have stayed better than Gallinules handsome daughter, which, however, unfortunately proved a shy breeder. Racing until he was nine Hammerkop won the Great Yorkshire Handicap, carrying 117 pounds, as a four-year-old. this being the same weight as she bore to victory in the Cesarewitch the following season. Earlier in 1905 Hammerkop had won the Alexandra Plate, and in 190G she again won this Ascot race, which only a most genuine stayer ever does. The old mare never won again, but remained in Gilpins stable until the late autumn of 1907, and I recall her making a good fight against Fugleman for the Rufford Abbey Handicap at Doncaster that season. Sent to the Eyrefield Stud, Curragh, she would not breed, so Major Eustace Loder had the daughter of Gallinule trained in Ireland, and ran her twice in the autumn of 190S. The winner covered the course in 2 :34, which is a record for the Derby, while ONeill said the pace was terrific, that in fact he had never ridden so fast and that he had the race safe, bar accident, ere turning for home. Sent over for the Grand Prize of Paris and ridden by Donoghue Spion Kop was made a pronounced favorite, but was terribly messed about and interfered with in the race, so could only be fifth, the spoils going to his stable companion Comrade, jointly owned by E. de Saint-Alary and P. Gilpin. Subsequent to his visit to France the son of Spearmint went much amiss, but was reckoned all right when he contested the Derbyshire Plate, reduced to a match between him and Abbots Trace, and with the pair meeting on even terms, the odds of 4 to 1 laid on the Derby hero were upset by a short head. Spion Kop next started favorite for the St Leger, won by Caligula, but we have it on the written authority of his trainer that the horse was tampered with, so no notice need be taken of his performance, as he returned to Newmarket all wrong and had not recovered his health when making one of those so easily beaten by Orpheus for the Champion Stakes. The following spring Hammerkop was mated to Laveno and stood to him all right; but she remained in training until July, running three times and concluded by taking fourth in the Northumberland Plate, won by the late David Jardines Sir Harry. During her racing career Hammerkop contested fifty races, winning eleven, worth collectively ?53,G55. On April 15, 1910, Hammerkop foaled a brown filly, afterward known as Mar-tellina, which ran four times unsuccessfully as a two-year-old and once the following season, being then retired to Eyrefield. In 1911 Hammerkop had a dead foal to Spearmint and another to St. Frusquin the next season and was barren to Spearmint in 1913. The following May she foaled a bay colt by Buckwheat, subsequently named Hammerhead, which, after carrying the then Captain Giles Loders colors once at Newmarket in a Maiden Plate, won by Cranford, was sold and sent to India; and on May 14, 1915, Hammerkop produced a bay sister to Hammerhead that never ran, and which Captain Loder sent up to Giltown in October, 1918, covered by Spearmint, when G. H. Dcnnehy bought her for ?800. After the latters death H. Williams gave ,500 for this daughter of Buckwheat at the December sales of 1920, but she has so far never had a foal, having been twice barren to Spearmint and once to Harry of Hereford. In 191.G Hammerkop, the sister to Sirenia, another good mare, proved barren to Spearmint. Following the birth of Spion Kop she was barren for three years and died in 1921 after having a dead foal by Spearmint. The two races Spion Kop won brought in 534,350 for his owner, and he has grown into a really good horse, hard indeed for the most captious critic to fault. Leased to Lord Rosebery for last season he covered fifteen of his lordships best mares while at Mentmore and fourteen of them are in foal, a splendid result Spion Kop next year stands at the Burton Agnes Stud, in East Yorkshire, and he will serve mares at 45 inclusive. Already such sound judges as Messrs. Henry Cholmondeley, Peter FitzGer-ald and R. Whitworth, among others, have booked for him, and if only given the chance he deserves the horse will do well. "Audax." in Horse and Hound.
