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SOME OF BRITAINS BEST George Lambton Tells of Horses Which Raced Years Ago. Hock Sand and Ard Patrick In Their Glory Charlie Beattys Temper as Bad as That of His Horse. Tho Hon. George Lambton, one of the most prominent horsemen in England, has probably been associated with as many great trainers and horses during his long career as any man in the British Isles. In the following account, published in the London "Weekly Dispatch, he writes of several picturesque men and horses that were prominent twenty years ago: "There were some good three-year-olds running in 1904 and none of them better than the beautiful Quintessence, which belonged to the late Lord Falmouth. I wish we could see those famous old colors back on the turf again. I have said that Rock Sand was always lame, or appeared to be so, in his slow paces, but he was a park hack when compared to Quintessence. It is a curious thing that the two best three-year-olds of either sex should have been afflicted in the same way. Quintessence was the dam of that good horse, Paragon, which, I am sure, was a great loss to this country. He was sold to go abroad. GREAT THREE-TEAR-OLDS. "But good as these two were, the three-year-olds of the year before had been of even a superior vintage. I remember going to Sandown for the Eclipse Stakes of 1903 with the intention of having a dash on Rock Sand against Ard Patrick and Sceptre. But when I saw these three champions walking around the ring, much as I loved Rock Sand and often as I had won money on him, I had to give him third place. A beautifully-made horse, and not by any means a small one, yet the other two were a pair of giants, both in performances and stature, and the old saying that a good big one will beat a good little one was borne irresistibly into my mind. "Martin rode Rock Sand, as Maher was ill, and I think perhaps he ran just a little below his best form, but whenever he met Sceptre she beat him. About the best thing in racing is when two good horses single themselves out from the rest of the field and have a long-drawn-out struggle. So it was in this Eclipse Stakes, for when well in the straight it was apparent that the two four-year-olds had Rock Sand beaten. Half way up Sceptre looked the winner, as she had drawn slightly ahead, but Madden was a jockey who knew exactly where the winning post was, and he nursed Ard Patrick beautifully for that last hundred yards, with the result that the horse just outran the mare and won by a neck. Hardy, who rode .Sceptre, was quite a capable jockey, and rode a good race, but Madden rode the best race of his life, which is saying much, for he was a fine jeekey, especially over a long course. In spite of the result of this race I believe Sceptre was the better of the two, for she was more distressed afterwards than Ard Patrick, and blew more than one of Alec Taylors horses usually do, however long and severe the race. The mare had not been long in his care, and if he had known as much about her as he did later on she would probably have been the winner. ROCK SAXD MEETS SCEPTRE. "Rock Sand met Sceptre twice afterward, in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket and the Coronation Cup at Epsom, and each time with the same result, though in the Coronation Cup they were both beaten by another of the grand big horses of that period ZinfandeL "As a two-year-old he had been too big to arrive at his proper form, and I dont know how good he might have been if his lines had been cast in luckier places. Owing to the death of his owner, Colonel McCalmont, all his engagements were void, so Major Charles Beatty, who trained him for Lord Howard de Walden, had to look for other lields than weight-for-age races in which to make his name. "Zinfandel was a magnificent great chestnut horse, and it required some pluck and confidence to produce him for the first time as a three-year-old in the Manchester Summer Cup with a ninety-six pound boy on him. The major, who was a highly-strung man himself, was doubtful as to the wisdom of the policy, as Zinfandel was a bit of a handful, and I remember meeting him and his horse one morning, both in a state of violent temper, which did not look too promising. POPULAR MAJOR BEATTY. "But the venture came off all right, greatly to the delight of Newmarket, for the whole town was on him. Major Beatty was a great favorite with everyone, although at times he would let fly all around in great style. I remember the special commissioner of the Sportsman, Mr. Allison, writing something quite descriptive of Charlie Beatty when the latter fairly got going. Allison was describing how he watched some work at Newmarket on a morning when there was a biting northeast- wind which blew right through him. He declared he never got warm until he accidentally got mixed up with Major Beatty and his string. No better or finer fellow ever stepped than Charlie Beatty. Whatever he did he did well, and he left his horses to go out with the yeomanry in the South African war. He greatly distinguished himself there, and became A. D. C. to General Alderson, who was in command of the light cavalry. I think he liked the life of a soldier better than that of a trainer. There are too many petty worries in the latter profession to suit a man of his temperament. "PTien he came back from South Africa he started to train again, but only because his great friend, Harry McCalmont, said he would give up racing unless he did so. Unfortunately for Charlie, Harry McCalmont died the following year, and I dont thinji his heart was ever in the game again, although he always did his work conscientiously and welL"
