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ALLISON WRITES OF "DOPE" Special Commissioner of London Sportsman Discusses Question. Cites Case of John o Gaunt Which Was Recently Destroyed Sir George Chetwynds i Out-of-Datc Opinions. William Allison, the Special Commissioner of the London Sportsman, discusses the subject of "doping" at some length in the following article: I cannot understand Sir George Thursby having ordered John o Gaunt to be destroyed at the comparatively early age of 23, for the old horse was anything but played out, and-surely merited a better fate than this, more especially as he was the sire of Swynford, the champion stallion of last season. That his stud career showed infinite variety i3 certain, but any temporary failures might be forgiven to a horse who got Swnyford, Kennymore and Torchlight in his earliest seasons, and was not far off being responsible for .another . as good later on in Black Gauntlet. Moreover, there were many other good sons and daughters of his, such as Lancaster, Cardinal Beaufort, Port Royal, Covert Side, Sobieski, Cressingham, Spithead, Balblair, Jacksdale, John Chinaman, Tootles, Moon-fleet, etc. Sir George Thursby might surely have remembered how the old horse carried him in the Two Thousand Guineas, Newmarket Stakes and Derby, all of which, in happier circumstances, he should have won. He lost the Two Thousand Guineas by being badly away, the Newmarket Stakes because his rider was caught napping, and in the Derby the rainstorm and hurricane all the way up the hill until past the furzes stopped him so effectually that he dropped back last, and looked like remaining there. ST. A3IAXT PROTECTED. Meanwhile, St. Amant, protected by a hood and blinkers, was immune from any such trouble, and probably would have been in no case so sensitive to it as John o Gaunt was well known to be. It was not till they had rounded Tattenham corner and the son of Isinglass and La Fleche had the rain and wind at his tail that he began to stretch himself in earnest, and he must then have been nearly a furlong behind the leader, which it was quite too late to catch, but he ran through all the rest to finish second. Granted fair weather and he would have won easily. He was an unlucky beast throughout all his short racing career, and before it. When sent as a yearling to Doncaster he had injured a joint, and Sir Tatton, well knowing his value, put a reserve of ?15,000 on him, which Sir John Thursby gave. The Sled-mere yearlings are almost invariably sold without reserve. I thought and wrote at the time that Sir John Thursby had bought the Derby winner, and it nearly was so. Before his three-year-old season, however, John o Gaunt had not had a favorable experience of racing. We know now that Duke is one of the most successful trainers in France, having lived and learned, as a clever man must do if he gives his mind to any task; but up to shortly before John o Gaunts day he had simply been partner witli Wishard, who did the training at Newmarket, and that was before dopes were i forbidden. TO BE COX1LN-UED.
