Manton Stable Successes: Audax Continues His History of English Training Establishment, Daily Racing Form, 1924-03-20

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MANTON STABLE SUCCESSES Audax Continues His History of English Training Establishment. Tom and Alec Taylor Take Over Destinies of Stable at Fathers Death Lean Tears Followed by Prosperous Ones. The second installment of the history of Manton written by Audax for London Horse and Hound, is reprinted below: After their fathers death, Tom Taylor r.nd his half-brother Alec, carried on Manton , together for years. In 1S96 they won only one race, but ran second for the Two Thousand with Hamar Bass Love Wisely, which was easily beaten by that good horse St. Frusquin ; but under 105 pounds.and ridden, as at Newmarket, by Sam Loates, the son of Wisdom, which was a great stayer, had little trouble to win the Gold Cup at Ascot, worth 3,400, by two lengths from the notable French racer Omnium II., four years old, 12G pounds Rolfe. Love Wisely did not run again until Ascot the following season, when making one of those so easily defeated by Persimmon for the Cup ; and then he was reserved for the Jockey Club Stakes A. F., one mile and a quarter, worth 3,335. Eight ran for this, the favorite, at 13 to S, being Lord Rose-berys Arelasqucz, three years old, 132 pounds Watts, but Hamar Bass Love Wisely, four years old, 132 pounds Rickaby, starting at 5 to 2, beat him readily by three lengths. WINS SEVEN RACES. That year the Manton Stable won seven races, worth in all about 2,310. Their next best year was in 1901, when they won eighteen races, worth in all 6,540. The partnership between the brothers ended in 1902, the stud of horses they jointly owned ccming up for dispersal during the Newmarket First July meeting, after which Tom Taylor retired into private life, and died on June 28, 1904, at the age of fifty-two, after having endured much suffering. Thence onward Alec Taylor, who was born on March 15, 1SG2, himself controlled the Manton Stable, and proved one of the greatest exponents of the trainers art that has ever lived, so I am sure the history of his wonderful successes will be read with the utmost interest. The first winner he prepared in 1902 was Washington Singers Torrent, which at Windsor, on July 21, won the Thames Handicap, carrying 107 pounds on his three-year-old back, and handled by that excellent jockey Willie Lane. That year the stable won twelve small races, only worth, collectively, 1,525, but the following season things were much brighter, as thirty-three races and 3,657 represented the years results. Of course, the great Sceptre, purchased in March after the Lincoln meeting by Sir William Bass for 25,000 from Mr. Sievier, was the all important winner, as she won 3,167 of this amount, winning the Hardwicke Stakes and the Jockey Club Stakes one and three-quarters miles, w-herein she conceded fifteen pounds and an extremely easy four lengths beating to that years Triple Crown hero, Ttock Sand, which performance of Persimmons celebrated daughter was possibly the best of her entire career. SCEITRES DUKE OF YORK STAKES. Sceptre next won the Duke of York stakes, carrying 330 pounds, and the narrow margin by which she scored was chiefly due to Maddens failing to ride with his usual judgment. Among those unplaced in this race was the 1903 Oaks winner, Our Lassie, which in receipt of nineteen pounds from Sceptre whereas on the weight-for-age scale she should have only had seven pounds was no nearer than sixth. Sceptre had easy tasks to pick up the Champion Stakes and Limekiln Stakes, and, to my thinking, was unlucky to have sustained a neck defeat from Ard Patrick in the Eclipse stakes, as Madden rode the race of his life on the winner, and certainly better than did Hardy, on the filly. That year, too, Taylor also trained the Cesarewitch victor, Grey Tick, for Sir William. In 1904 twenty-seven races, value ,1S0, were picked up, and during the ensuing season Alec trained the winner of his first classic, so many of which he has since won for his employers. This was the St. Leger, worth 2,000, which W. Singers Challacombe, starting at 100 to G, and ridden by Otto Madden, won by three lengths from Lord Crewes Polymelus M. Cannon, the victor having all his six opponents in hopeless trouble when reaching the final bend of the course, which has since been done away with. Challacombe covered the distance in 3:05, a record for this race up to then, but he was only a moderate horse, although he well repaid Mr. Singer the ,650 he gave for him as a yearling at Don-caster. Bred by the late F. W. Dunn, and foaled on March 24, the good-looking bay son of St. Serf and Lady Chancellor did little as a stallion before being shot on January 8, 1917. t STABLE WINNINGS FOR, 1905. The Manton Stables winnings -in 1905 amounted to 1,0S0. won in thirty-eight races, and in 1906 Taylor won thirty-nine races, worth 36,777. He also came near to taking other classic events, as Sir William Bass Sancy only failed by a head to defeat Arthur James Gorgos in the Two Thousand, while two days latex, in the One Thousand, W. Singers Lischana ran second to Sir Daniel Coopers Flair, although the former was easily beaten. So was Sir W. Bass Gold Riach when second to Lord Derbys Keystone II. for the Oaks, but Taylor took the Ascot Stakes by the aid of Pardella, and the Royal Hunt Cup for Reid Walker with Dinneford. The latter, handsome brown son of Dinna Forget, then a four-year-old, supplemented this success by taking the Princess of Wales stakes one and one-half miles, worth, 7,-175, at Newmarket, and the Goodwood Cup was won by Plum Tree. The last named belonged to Mr. "Fairie," which was the assumed name of the late A. W. Cox, who had sent his racers to Taylor some time before, this son of Persimmon being the horse that commenced his owners wonderful era of success. When Alfred Cox, a great friend of mine, started racing toward the end of the eighties he had little luck, for the "white, orange sleeves and cap" seldom scored, whereas i when nearing the end of his life he could not do wrong. , At Goodwood Taylor also won the Chesterfield Cup with Gold Riach, and all these horses mentioned were ridden by the stable jockey, Madden, with the exception of Lischana in the One Thousand. Madden was also first jockey during 1907, when thirty-nine races were won, valued at 29, 7G5, and for the first time Taylor headed the list of winning trainers, his best representatives being W. Singers Torpoint, aged, 116 pounds, which readily won the Ascot Stakes, in the hands of Madden, and also the Alexandra Plate the same week, when Sir William Bass Sancy, which earlier in the year had run a dead heat with Earlston for the Chester Vase, easily upset, the odds laid on Polar Star in the Rous Memorial Stakes. This performance caused Sancy to start at 5 to 2 on against his six opponents for the rich Eclipse Stakes, but after a great struggle he was defeated a head by another of his own age, Mr. Purefoys Lally, this pair meeting on even terms. The following week Reid Walkers Dinneford, five years, 122 pounds Mather, easily took the Liverpool Cup from nine others; and on the same day W. Singers Manaton, six years, 118 pounds Madden, tied with the Duke of Devonshires Fugleman, four years, 126 pounds Higgs, for the Newbury Summer Cup, the stakes being divided. Taylor also trained the winner of the next race, this being Stickup, which won the Ormonde Stakes; and in September, W. Singers Lischana, four years, 98 pounds, won the Prince Edward Handicap, when her stable companion, Dinneford, which was conceding thirty-six pounds to the filly, was favorite, and she on offer at "10s." Ten days later, at Newmarket, Sir W. Bass Sancy, four years, 134 pounds Madden, favorite at 13 to 8, easily beat his five rivals for the Jockey Club Stakes fourteen furlongs, worth 7,975, and another race of importance fell to the stable when Sir W. Bass Stickup, three years, 97 pounds Walter Griggs, easily won the Derby Gold Cup. I may also mention that in the Oaks that season W. Singers Laomedia was second, beaten a length and a half by J. B. Joels Glass Doll. BAYARD O BIGGEST WINNER. In the season of 1908 the chief winner for the stable was that good horse, Mr. "Fairies" Bayardo, whose son of Bay Ronald so easly beat those that opposed him in the trial at Manton before Ascot that Madden, who rode him in the gallop, was under the impression that he had been put on an old one to test the youngsters. He was therefore greatly surprised to find that Bayardo, which, ridden for the New Stakes by Bernard Dillon and starting at 7 to 1, won extremely easily from his twelve opponents, was only a two-year-cld. Soon after this Alfred Cox paid a large sum to retain Maher as jockey for Bayardo during the rest of his career, so the horse was always ridden by the great Danny. The colt next easily took the rich National Breeders Produce Stakes at Sandown and followed this up by giving fifteen pounds and a three-lengths beating to Vivid for the Richmond Stakes. Having had easy tasks in the Buck-enham Stakes and Rous Memorial Stakes at the Newmarket First October Meeting, Bay-aido played with Vivid and two others for the Middle Park Plate, as he did with the subsequent Oaks winner, Perola which had started a hot favorite for the New Stakes and four more in the Dewhurst Plate. Bayardo during the season earned 5,192 of the total of 26,272 credited to the stable in twenty-nine races, and in consequence of having shown himself greatly superior to all rivals, he was a pronounced winter favorite for the Derby. Another important success in 1908 was when Reid Walkers Queen Advocate, four years, 122 pounds Madden, just won the Princess of Wales Stakes one and one-half miles, worth 4,220, when the field of nine which contested this Newmarket race were an extremely moderate lot to run for such a rich prize. AGAIN LEADS TRAINERS. In 1909 it was again a case of Taylor easily heading the list of winning trainers, the forty-seven races won by Manton horses bringing in 35,825, which was nearly double that of Willie Waugh, who was second with 20,S22 to his credit. The stable began with a disappointment, as Bayardo, palpably backward, and showing neither growth nor improvement, cantered to the post for the Two Thousand as though he did not like the hard ground. Starting at 13 to S on against his ten rivals, he seemed likely to score at the Bushes, but collapsed soon afterward in two strides and finished fourth, leaving Minora to win easily from Phaleron and Louviers. When next seen out, in the Derby, Bayardo, which presented an entirely different appearance, and cantered better than anything else; was only fifth for the race, wherein Herbert Jones, riding superbly, bad His Majestys Minora leased for his racing career from Col. Hall Walker home a short head in front of Louviers amid a scene of wild excitement and enthusiasm which will never be forgotten by those who were present. Bayardo, despite this failure! was rapidly recovering from the dental and feet troubles which had affected him, and never again knew defeat that season, for at Ascot the son of Bay Ronald, carrying 131 pounds, cantered away with the Prince of Wales Stakes thirteen furlongs from -four rivals, and the fcllowing week, at Sandown, Bayardo, under 136 pounds, and in spite of considerable interference, won the Sandring-ham Foal Stakes ten furlongs by an extremely easy length and a half from Ver-ney, 9S pounds a subsequent Cesarewitch winner, with the favorite, Louviers, 136 pounds, no nearer than fifth, which showed that the colt had returned to his proper form and was greatly superior to any rival of his own age. In the Eclipse Stakes, over the same distance, Bayardo, .128 pounds, picked up 4,350 without an effort from his trio of four-year-old opponents, his presumed most dangerous rival, the 1908 St. Leger winnerYour Majesty, 140 pounds, being last, and the next week Bayardo beat Valens which I shall always consider unlucky not to have won the Derby, for which he was fourth by an easy two lengths, on even terms, for the Duchess of York Plate. BEATS VALENS IN ST. LEGER. After this came the St. Leger, which attracted seven runners for a prize worth 2,250, but only two were seriously backed, 11 to 10 being laid on Bayardo, and 7 to 4 against Minora. Mr. "Fairies" horse, with his grand quarters, and full of muscle everywhere, looked totally different from the shadow of his real self that he was when he sustained his first defeat in May, and and after once seeming likely to be boxed in, he was clear in time to score by an easy length and a half from Valens, with Minora only fourth. Although I was a great admirer of Danny Maher as a jockey, I saw him ride some apparently extremely ill-judged races on Bayardo, which, he told me himself, was an extremely awkward horse to ride, so this explains much. The same week Bayardo, I may add, conceded twenty-four pounds and an effortless beating to Verney in the Doncastcr Stakes. For the Champion Stakes ten furlongs Bayardo, three years, 120 pounds, opened at 3 to 1 on against Dean Swift, aged, 12G pounds, and White Eagle, four years, 126 pounds; but he always seemed to hate Newmarket after having sustained his first reverse there, and he behaved obstinately on this occasion, refusing to canter to the post after leaving the Birdcage. Maher had eventually to obatin permission of the stewards to take the colt down at the back of the stands, and consequently 9 to 4 was taken that he would not win; but traveling quite smoothly in a slowly run race, Bayardo scored in easy fashion by a neck over Mr. Joels famous old gelding. Two days later he picked tip the Lowther Stakes, and the next week the Sandown Foal Stakes. Then Bayardo had a canter to win the Limekiln Stakes, and another for the Liverpool St. Leger. The eleven victories of Bayardo in that season placed 23,985 to the winning account of his fortunate owner, who, in the New Stakes at Ascot, had introduced a charming bay half-brother by Cyllene to Bayardo, called Lemberg. Galloped with the same trial horse, Seedcake, as had been his elder relative, but not so highly, Lemberg, 122 pounds, ridden by Dillon as Maher had to ride Lord Derbys Decision, whose owner then had first claim on his services started favorite at "2s" in a field of twelve and after always going well for the opposition he won by an easy length and a half from Catrail, 122 pounds, which Lemberg, ridden by Maher, defeated equally easily on seven pounds worse terms in the Chesterfield Stakes. WINS ROUS MEMORIAL STAKES At Goodwood Mr. "Fairies" colt cantered away with the Rous Memorial Stakes, but at Doncaster, when starting at 15 to 8 on for the Champagne Stakes, he was only a fair third in the hands of Herbert Jones. Lord Roseberys Neil Gow Maher winning by a ready length and a half from Admiral Hawke with Whisk Broom last, all these four colts carrying 12G pounds. At Newmarket Lemberg Dillon won the Rous Memorial Stakes with plenty to spare by a neck from Mahers mount, Rochester, which was receiving seven : pounds and next Danny had him home by a J ready neck under 129 pounds from Whisk Broom, 126 pounds, with Admiral Hawke, 129 pounds, three-quarters of a length behind the second ; while on three pounds worse terms Lemberg beat Whisk Broom, his solitary opponent, by five lengths for the Dewhurst Plate seven furlongs. These performances went to prove that Lemberg had failed to show his correct form on the Town Moor, and his six victories brought in G,S00. In the November of that year Mr. "Fairie" told me that he had received an offer of 80,000 for Bayardo from a French owner and had replied : "Horse not for sale"; while at the same time he mentioned that when he and Ryan tried Galacia, dam of these two celebrated colts, before Ascot, they thought she was something quite out of the common. She won there, but met with an accident on next being seen out, in the Exeter Stakes, and never won again. Ere closing with season 1909, I must mention that other good races won by Manton-trained horses were the Newbury Summer Cup, one and a half miles, with W. Singers Lischana, six years, 99 pounds Greening, in addition to the even more valuable Royal Stakes, which followed it, this going to Mr. "Fairies" Smuggler, three years, 93 pounds Evans. The Story, of the same age, which was a -presumed certainty, although trying to give him four pounds, being only fourth. Then in the July Stakes Maid of Corinth was just beaten by Prince Rupert and later on won the Cheveley Park Stakes, as had her elder sister, Maid of the Mist, the first foal of famous Sceptre, in 1908. Maid of the Mist easily won the Nassau Stakes for Sir William Bass, scoring by two lengths over the One Thousand victress, Electra, which was trying to give her twelve pounds, and for Mr. "Fairie" Highness won the. Newmarket Oaks and Derby Cup, carrying 93 pounds in the latter race and being ridden by Stanley Wootton; while his brother, Frank, by far the better rider, readily won the Manchester November handicap for Manton on the Baroness de Brienens Admiral Togo III., five years, 100 pounds. So anxious was Mr. "Fairie" to have Maher, who had been first jockey for Lord Derby, to ride for him in 1910 that he paid 5,000 to have second call on his services, Xord Rosebery, who had prior claim, paying ,000.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800