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f i Here and There on the Turf ! Death of Sergeant Murphy. American Steeplechasing. Leading Derby Candidates. * Will They Start? The- fatal accident to Sergeant Murphy. Ste j phen Sanfords great old steeplechaser, which i won the Grand National of 1922, is generally , mourned among steeplechase enthusiasts. When j he won the Liverpool jumping classic. Sergeant ! It Murphy was thirteen years old. That was three years ago. hut until the time of his accident the veteran still showed jumping ability and gameness that gained him the highest laurels in the steeplechase world. At a pcriad of life when a majority of horses are decrepit and useless, old Sergeant Murphy wa- still earning his way gallantly and his like-in this particular will probably not be seen! soon again. Engaged in the most perilous branch of racing, this fine old gelding outlasted most of his contemporaries. Stephen Sanford is no longer the only American owner to see his colors carried to victory in the Grand National, as Charles Schwartz duplicated the feat this year with Jack Horner However, the young American sportsman, who has just lost this great jumper, may well eon-sole himself with the thought that he was the first to carry first money in the Liverpool classic across the Atlantic. Sergeant Murphys victory in the Grand Na tional of 1922 was undoubtedly one of the most potent influences in arousing interest in the steeplechasing sport in this country at a time when that branch of American racing was at a particularly low ebb. Steeplechasing on thi side of the water is conducted under many severe handicaps not found in England : ! and Trance. j Steeplechasing abroad is really a separate , sport from flat racing. It is conducted at a different time of the year and entire programs are given over to jumping races, whereas in | this country three or four steeplechase races I | ! a week are offered in conjunction with the flat racing at the few racing plants which boast steeplechase courses. Under such conditions it ■ hardly surprising that, in spite of all efforts, the cross country sport has failed to make any distinct advances here. It is almost impossible for the average siee plechasc stable in this country to earn its way because opportunities are so few. As a purely sporting proposition, however. I number of owners have found th" sport decidedly fascinating. The number of wealthy sportsmen who can affprd to maintain such an expensive hobby for sport alone, however, is compara tivcly small and the only manner in which an abundance of jumping material can be assured is to increase the opportunities offered such performers. The spectacular features of steeplechasin« are largely missed when small fie.ds of mediocre performers are engaged. Plenty of contention is needed to make the crosscountry race attractive to the racing public and this can never be provided unless the number of jumpers in training is materially increased. The fine sportsmen who have been working It revive steeplechasing on an ambitious scale : ! j , | I | ! in this country have partly succeeded in that they have kept the sport alive in the face of conditions which threatened its complete de struction a few years ago. But still there are not enough good jumpers to make the sport what it should be, and there are not enough steeplechases offered to justify owners who must make their racing ventures pay in buying jumpers or converting good flat racers into steeplechasers. The status of the various Kentucky l;»rby candidates, although the running is less than a month away, still remains in doubt. The | I trainers of the leading candidates are savins little or nothing of their intentions and the j ether horsemen and observers cannot agree among themselves whether the leading Derby j hopes are likely to face the barrier on May 1"» or not. There isnt a chance in the world for Pom pey to be ready," one horseman will tell you. j "If he worked every other day until Derby day. he wouldnt be ready to go a mile and a quarter. The whole thing is settled apparently and you are all ready to offer condolences to the friend who has been backing the colt in the future book when along comes another expert observer. "Nothing to the Derby but Pompey." he volunteers. "Karrick has toughened him up with shed work until he is all set for his final preparation. Pompey has only to train easily , | and naturally until Derby day to be in top form for the race." You can take your choice. Apparently nobody but trainer Karrick knows how close to condition Pompey may be and he is not broadcasting the information at present. Pompey is merely used as an example. The same condition exists in respect to almost every ; : other candidate of prominence, including sev I ; cral that have already appeared in actual com • petition this spring. In other years it has j ■ becnassumed that all of the clnibles which would stand training would face the barrier in! i the Dtrby, if they appeared to have a chance,: but this year several early announcements j tha: horses would not be rushed in order to meet this engagement created an atmosphere i of doubt and nothing has happened since to dispel that doubt. At the same time. thos. who know the vay of trainers feel an abiding confidence that they will na Pompey. Canter and the other leading candidates for the big prize at the post on Derby day unless something altogether unfore seen develops to prevent them from facing] the barrier. The glamour of the Kentucky ; Derby is still as great as ever and few owners or trainers will be able to resist that lure if they think they have a chance to win.
