view raw text
■ i ; j | , i [ , j i i I I I j I , , 1 I LATEST FRENCH VICTORY Tapins Success in Lincolnshire Is Second Straight for France. • Colts Lineage on Dams Side Is Not Particularly Impressive — Sire La Farina Was a Good Racer. • BY E. E. COFSSELL. LONDON, England. March 27. — *« never had the slightest doubt of the result." said "Steve" Donoghue after winning the Lin-colnshire Handicap. "I just kept Tapin to his work." All the sporting world now knows the story. The Freneh-br«l colt won our first big handicap of the season in a canter carrying 119 pounds, which was thirteen pounds less than the top weight carried by A. K. Macombers Parth. For the second year in succession the spoils went to France. For a parallel we go back to 1906 and 1907 when the late Maurice Ephrussis colt Ob was successful. Last year Sir Galahad was trained in Fiance. Tapin had teen in work at Shrew-ton in Wiltshire since January. Various scares were associated with his preparation. A report of an attack of boils sent h:s price to 40 to 1 after he had been an early favorite. On the day of the race he was joint second favorite with Parth at 9 to 1. DORSAY WAS FAVORITE. The actual favorite was DOrsay. trained by Cottrill, whose horses had won four races at Lincoln before the big event. When Phil-ippi won the Elsham Handicap, immediately preceding the Lincolnshire, there was a rush to support DOrsay. which had readily defeated Philippi in a trial. DOrsay. which was nicely placed, ran well for half way and then hopelessly dropped out. Tapin made the pace so hot that he had the race won at five-eighths. The big field had barely covered an eighth when vivid Lghtning and heavy peals of thunder startled the onlookers. At half way Tapin was third ; when Donoghue shook him up, he came on in a boend to overhaul the leaders and thence forward continued his winning way in splendid isolation. Parth started slowly, but was up with the leaders at a half mile. Then his big burden began to tell its tale. ONeill did not unduly persevere. Several others of the greatly fancied animals were eased before the finish, with the result that the lightly weighted Grave Fairy 93 pounds. King Willow 101 pounds and L. S. D. SO pounds, finished second, third and fourth. TAPIX UNDERESTIMATED. It is obvious that the Lincoln handicapper has been underestimating the French classic form. Tapin should have carried at least ten pounds more ; then it might have been a good race. No lOnglish classic winner could have broken into the Lincoln under less than 130 pounds. Tapin in 1924 showed brilliant form in France up to a mile and in the autumn was just beaten at 5 pounds over seven-eighths by Niceas. unquestionably the beat French four-year-old. Niceas was handicapped at 127 pounds in the Boyal Hunt Cup last season. The lineage of Tapin on the dams side is not especially attractive either to American or British students of blood lines. Tapin was bred by his owner. A. Eknayan, a gentleman I believe close to eighty years of age. Tapin is by La Farina- Maillane. Bred by M. Caillault in 1013, she did not race and was mated at three years old. In 1!H7 sho had a foal which did not race. Maillane was barren in 191S, 1919 and 1920. Then came Tapin. Her foal of 1922 died. She has a two-year-old named Maillebois, by Samourai. Maillane is by Querido. which won the Chester Cup in 1907. He is by Son o Mine from Quayside, by Galliard. Mireille, the dam of Maillane, in six starters produced four winners. None of them possessed outstanding merit. She was by Vesuvian, whose dam. Fuse, was a half-sister to St. Blaise and Candlemas. Mireille was a brilliant two-year-old winner of four races and probably the best of her sex in France in 1902. She and Tapin are the notable exceptions to the moderate record of the family. Mireilles dam. Midnight Sun, was by Ocean Wave from Moonlight, by Silver from Postscript. The last named produced Reminder, which won the City and Suburban Handicap thirty years ago. Afterthought, the dam of Postscript, was the ancestress of Hying Spear, which was successful in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot in 1919. I -a. Farina, the sire of Tapin, won over 331,000 francs. He also ran second in the Grand Prix de Paris and in the French Two Thousand Guineas. A chestnut horse, foaled in 1911, he was leased by M. Eknayan from Baron B. de Rothschild. His sire is Sans Souci; his dam. Malatesta, is by Isinglass from Parisina, by St. Simon. La Farina is a half-brother to Romagne. the dam of Willis Sharpe Kilmers good colt Sunny Man. ■