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1 : j j j : , . s . . . LORD DABERNONS OPINION Not Reassuring as to Englands Supremacy Suggests Training Method Changes. SPECIAL CABLEGRAM. LONDON, Eng., Dec. 25. That there was always danger of English supremacy in thor-i oughbred breeding being successfully at-: tacked and that the events of the past flat racing season had not been altogether re-i assuring was the keynote cf the address of Lord dAbernon, president of the Thorough-: bred Breeders Association at the annual meeting of the association at Newmarket recently. i Although not given to pessimism. Lord dAbernon said that it was most significant that the first two horses in the Ascot Gold Cup were bred and trained in France and that three of the first four top weights in the Hunt Cup were foreign horses. "We used to comfort ourselves with the reflection that it was only in long-distance races that foreign horses were superior, but it is quite clear from the achievements in England of the French colt Epinard that our monopoly of excellence on short distance races was also menaced," continued the president, adding that Epinards defeat in America accentuated the fact that it was not from France alone that danger came. Granting that most of the fast performers from abroad came from English blood, the list of successes scored by foreigners would suggest that they were obtaining better re-suits than English trainers, although they had first call on the raw material. Careful attention and a scientific revision of English methods in breeding and racing, with a view to ascertaining whether they are best suited to retain for English supremacy on the turf were necessary, in Lord dAbernons opinion. The modification of the date from which the breeding year is to count was suggested. That the present date av.is too early had long been the opinion of the best judges of breed-1 ing and training. Lord dAbernons second suggestion was that the date at which two- year-old racing now begins was too early, being much in advance of France. The latter has been ascribed by many people as the rea-l ! son for France producing better stayers than England does, and the cases of The White Knight, Buchan, Swynford, Willonyx, Santoi, Rock Sand, Tracery, Son-in-Law, Palatine, Persia and Bachelors Button, the best stay-5 crs of the past thirty years, none of which made their appearances as juveniles until the middle of May, are cited as bearing out this contention.
