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Here and There on the Turf Grand National Prospects. St. Louis Turf Revival. Veterans in 1923 Racing. Improving the Breed. There has always been considerable interest among steeplechase enthusiasts in this country in the annual renewals of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, Englands and the worlds greatest cross-country event. Last year Americans in general found out more about the Grand National than they had ever known before when the victory of young Stephen San-fords Sergeant Murphy made the race a frontpage story for newspapers of this country. Sergeant Murphy is now fourteen years old, a ripe old age for a race horse, but he has been named again for the Grand National and a sound reflection of English opinion as to his chances is given in the first of future book odds on tlic race. Sergeant Murphy shares the position of favorite with Silvo and Shaun Spadah. Shortly after the running of the Grand National last year young Sanford acquired another excellent jumper, Drifter, and he also is named j for the Grand National. Another candidate , j for the rac2 that is of American ownership is James Pigg, which is named to carry the colors : of James W. Corrigan in the race. Another American victor in the Grand National is to be considered a possibility, but the development of a number of younger jumpers since last years race complicates the situation. A young horse as a rule is looked upon as j having little chance to finish the difficult course at Aintree, but racing, especially stee-plechasing, . is always a rather uncertain proposition. . The news from St. Louis that a racing revival - may be attempted there during the coming - racing season is an encouraging sign. Joseph A. Murphys insistence on a definite settlement t of legal questions involved before any move is 3 made in the direction of attempting thz revival I j is wise. Abortive efforts to revive the sport t would only complicate matters and might have the effect of delaying, or thwarting entirely, the j re-establishment of racing on a firm basis. A favorable decision in a lower court is 3 now being reviewed by the Missouri Supreme b Court. If the decision of the St. Louis jurist in the case is sustained, the men behind the p project will proceed at once to construct a new r and modern plant. St. Louis once occupied an important place e in the tf scheme and only abus:s which crept t in resulted in banishment of the sport. Racing is much better governed now than in the old 1 days, and it is certain that every care will bp taken to prevent any recurrence of these evils s if a revival is attempted. The betless Tanforan meeting was successful il as the first move to bring racing back to the c state of California. Flans are now under way y for the previously announced spring meeting g at the track, and it is hoped that eventually Y the rather expensive missionary work. involved i in these experimental meetings will bear fruit t in the form of favorable legislation- j j j . . - - t 3 I j t j 3 b p r e t 1 s il c y g Y i t Missouri laws, if the findings of the lower court arc sustained in the highest tribunal of the state, will allow oral wagering on much the- same basis that now is used in New York, and there is likely to be little or no obstacle to a successful revival. The oldest horse that faced the starter during the past year on a track was H. S. Pages old jumper Gold Plate. He is a chestnut geld-i ing and was seventeen years old last year. He did not break into the winning column during the season of 1923, but he finished second in his only start. Of course, Gold Plate is not raced at the regular meetings, but only at amateur affairs such as the United Hunts. The oldest horses which faced the barrier at the regular meet-t ings were fourteen years of age. There wer six of these, and the largest money earner of the band was old Marshal Tilghman, which started twenty-one times and finished in the money five times for a total of 85. Then there were twenty-seven others thirteen and twelve years old which were active in racing! during the campaign. Bonnie Joe is the only sire in the list represented by more than one performer. He had Miss Herbert, a thirten-t year-old, and Joe Blair, a twelve-year-cld, in action. Incidentally Joe Blair is one of -the two entire horses in the list. El Mahdi is the other. All th other horses in this roster of veterans are geldings and mares, Of course, these old horses are not winning many races. They are just going along day by day, starting occasionally and winning Decaff sionally, but the fact that they are able to race at all at such an advanced age is evidence of the wearing quality of the thoroughbred, Stake horses as a general thing do not race nearly so long. The mares and entire horses are usually retired to the stud when they are six years old or younger. There are sound reasons for this proceedure. Four years of racing is usually enough to establish a horses standing, and its stud earnings are likely to exceed its earnings on the race course. Young mares are better stud prospects than older ones and early retirement of these racers is likely to serve an excellent purpose in improving the breed. The real purpose of racing is to separate the good from the bad, thus making it possible by a process of selection to improve the breed. Early retirement of good horses is a necessary part of this process. The horses which are demonstrated in actual racing to be of ordinary grade should not be used for breeding purposes. They can be used for racing with others of their kind, however, and no harm can be done by racing them as long as they are physically able to make the effort.
