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FRENCH VIEW ON EPINARD Viator in Le Jockey Does Not Think Engagements Too Heavy. Cites Examples of Ohl-Tlmc Smashers which Traveled Back and Forth Between Franco and England Withoxit Losing Any Form. There has been an immense amount of criticism in France directed against the trainer and owner of Epinard for engaging him so heavily both in England and France during the early months of the year. Critics have said that the colts reputation is likely to be ruined as a result of so much traveling, but Viator, the veteran turf commentator of Le Jockey, does not agree with them. He has many pointed examples to back up his views, which are given in translation below: There can never be any immutable rules governing the careers of all race horses. Everything depends upon the individual performers abilities and temperament. Many are aghast at the multiplicity of Epinards engagements for 1924 and especially at the immense amount of traveling which will be involved if he fills all of them. But some horses lese a considerable amount of their form in shipment from Chantilly to Longchamps, while others continue in the pink of condition in spite of the most arduous journeys by sea or land. A FEW NOTABLES EXAMPLES. Here are a few notable examples: Verneuil went from France, won the Queens Vase at Ascot two miles on a Tuesday ; the Gold Cup two miles and a half on Thursday, and the Alexandra Plate three miles on Friday. Sceptre, a mare, ran in the Lincolnshire, in which she was beaten by a head? won the Two Thousand Guineas and on the second day following won the One Thousand Guineas. Then in the space of fifteen days she ran in the Oaks, which she won; the Grand Prix de Paris, the St. James Palace Stakes and the Coronation Stakes at Ascot. The Grand Prix de Paris and the two races at Ascot, Blair Athol had previously also started in both of which resulted in victory for her, were run in the same week, the Grand Prix de Paris and his defeat had been attributed to the voyage a favorite excuse of trainers but nevertheless he won the famous Ely Stakes at Ascot three days later. Still earlier we find The Earl, winner of the Grand Prix at Longchamps on Sunday, winning the Ascot Derby on Wednesday, another race the same day and a third on the following day. Transportation in those days was not what it is now either, although .it has retrograded badly since the war. CREMORNE 1VINS AT ASCOT. Crcmorne was another Grand Prix winner that won on the following Wednesday at Ascot. The following year Doncaster failed at Paris, finishing behind Boiard and Flageolet, but won the Ascot Cup three days later, taking his revdnge on Flageolet, which had made the trip from France with him. Foxhall attempted the same feat after winning at Paris, but the best he could do was to finish second in the Ascot Cup behind Robert the Devil. Finally there is the case of Insulaire, which is the most convincing of all. He won the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday, finished second in the English Derby on Wednesday ; was beaten by a head in the Grand Prix de Paris the following Sunday and ran two times at Ascot the second day after and the day following. In this second race at Ascot he beat the famous Jeanette, which had won the Oaks and was later to win the St. Leger. After all this it seems a little amusing to treat a thoroughbred like a piece of fine china. Some horses, it is true, are fragile, tut the truth is no doubt that one can a.sk a great deal of a race horse when he is right and nothing at all when he is not. This was the system of Jennings and it is the system of Henri Count.
