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OMAHA FAVORITE FOR FAMOUS ASCOT GOLD CUP American Invader Expected to Duplicate Foxhalls Great Feat Kentucky Derby Winner of Last Year Rated Highly by English Critics Brief Review of Historic Ascot Heath American Hopes Run High ASCOT, England, June 17. A field of thirteen thoroughbreds, headed by Omaha, winner of the Kentucky Derby last year, was ready today for the running of the Gold Cup tomorrow, feature race of the Ascot meeting. William Woodwards Omaha is the favorite for the two and a half mile race, first run in 1807. Probable starters and jockeys are as follows: Valerius, Dick; Cecil, Weston; Duplicate, Fox; Bokbul, Elliott; Robin Good- fellow, Jones; Buckleigh, Gordon Richards; Fairbairn, Harry Wragg; Omaha, Pat Beasley; Chaudiers, Vil-lecourt; Quashed, Perryman; Samos, Semblat. No jockeys have been chosen for Patriot King and Penny Royal. Omahas two victories in quick succession at Kempton Park last month have won the American invader the admiration of even the severest critics here as a worthy challenger for Gold Cup honors at Royal Ascot. In fact, so highly has the four-year-old son of Gallant Fox and Flambino impressed the critics that they acclaim him as the best invader from American shores since the Madden-bred Sir Martin was raced here in the earlier years of the present century. Many believe Sir Martin, which carried the silks of the late Mr. Winnans, would, but for falling in the course of the race, have won the 1909 Derby, captured by Minoru, racing in the interests of the late King Edward VII. There is little doubt Sir Martin was a high-class race horse, as his success against a class field of horses in the 1910 Coronation Cup at Epsom proves. Critics here rate Omaha as a much better Ascot Gold Cup prospect than Mrs. John Hertz Reigh Count, a horse capable of winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom and beating all but the stout-running Invershin for the 1929 renewal of the long distance classic at Ascot. This is high praise for the latest American invader, which will be called upon to meet the best distance horses in training here at Royal Ascot. In his most recent race at Kempton Park, Omaha, for the first time in his career in public racing over the extended distance of two miles, covered himself with glory by his brilliant finishing effort to overhaul the highly-regarded Bobsleigh and win the Queens Plate. This effort was the more meri- Continued on thirty-sixt1 page. OMAHA FAVORITE FOR FAMOUS ASCOT GOLD CUP Continued from first page. torious since William Woodwards color-bearer was carrying the heavy burden of 130 pounds and giving away seven pounds to one of his own age, Bobsleigh, a colt that proved himself at tops by his decisive victory in the Chippenham Stakes at New- , market late in April, and in the interim had given every satisfaction in his workouts at Newmarket. It will be recalled that last year Bobsleigh, one of the best of his age, was, until he met with an accident in training, regarded a most likely prospect to carry Lord Derbys silks to their third success in the three-year-old "classic" named for his family. Last year Bobsleigh made his three-year-old debut by finishing a close-up fourth in the one mile Two Thousand Guineas, and then, two weeks later, easily won the Newmarket Stakes from the smart Hairan and seven others that included the subsequent Derby runner-up, Robin Goodfellow, which finished out of the money in the Newmarket one mile and a quarter contest. Bobsleigh then met with his accident and did not race again until the final Newmarket October meeting when, in a two-horse race, he was beaten three parts of a length by the Woodward colorbearer Alcazar in the one mile and a quarter Limekiln Stakes. This year Bobsleigh has apparently regained his best form, but still could not match Omaha in their recent encounter. In his initial success at Kempton Park in the one mile and a half Victor Wild Plate, Omaha just played with his opposition, which included such a smart handicapper as Montrose, for which horse it may be claimed the distance was a little longer than he likes to travel, but still Omaha beat him in such effortless style there was real merit in the performance. In striving for the Ascot Gold Cup, Omaha, the Woodward champion, again centers the eyes of the racing world on Ascot Heath, which is in Surrey County, some twenty-five miles from the city of London. A modern and beautiful race course today, Ascot is steeped in the tradition of more than two centuries of the British turf for it was in 1711 that plump little Queen Anne, noticing the attractive spot, issued orders that a course be laid out there. As a result one of the most interesting documents now in existence is the "declared account" of Charles Seymour, master of the royal horse, and the acknowledgment to him by William Towers for "the receipt of 558 pounds, nineteen shillings and five pence, from the master of the royal horse, for making the round heath over Ascot common in July and August, 1711." The first race staged at Ascot was on August 11, 1711, but it was not unt:l 1778, the year that the Duke of Cumberland instituted a race which was actually the origin of the Ascot Gold Cup, that racing there was placed on a firm footing. In 1807 the Gold Cup became a calendar event with the inaugural running won by the four-year-old Brighton in 1808. In England, the years 1881 and 1882 are known as the "American years, due to the feats of Iroquois and Foxhall. In 1881, Iroquois astounded British turf fans by winning the Derby at Epsom and in the following season Foxhall increased their consternation by annexing the Ascot Gold Cup. Bred by A. J. Alexander of Kentucky, Foxhall was foaled in 1878 and was by King Alphonso, from the mare Jamaica. James R. Keene purchased him as yearling and, naming the horse after his son, Foxhall Keene, prominent polo player, shipped the youngster to the famous trainer, Joseph Dawson, at his place, Bedford Lodge. Dawsons death occurred shortly after Foxhall arrived there. Foxhall started three times as a juvenile, winning two races and second in another. In his first start as a three-year-old in 1881 the City and Suburban, he ran second to Bend Or, and then crossed to Paris to win the Grand Prix de Paris. On returning to England he was unplaced in the Ascot Gold Cup, but in the following .year he emerged from the barn as a racer of magnificent proportions and echoed the American joy of the year before when he staged a smashing race to defeat Faugh a Ballagh and Petro-nel and thus became the first and only American-bred horse to win the coveted Ascot classic. Kilmarnock II., an American-owned horse, finished second to the gold cup winner San-toi in 1901, and it was the famous Yankee rider Danny Maher who rode the winners: Bachelors Button 1906 and Bayardo 1910. The American-bred Tracery might have written gold cup history in 1913 but an accident ruined his chances. A son of the Derby winner Rock Sand, from Topiary, Tracery was bred by August Belmont and was foaled in 1909 at the famous Nursery Stud, Kentucky. Shipped to England, he did not start at two, but in his first start at three the Epsom Derby of 1912, he made a splendid bid to finish third to Tagalie and Jaeger. He was unbeaten again that year, winning the St. James Palace Stakes at Ascot and in so doing defeated the Two Thousand Guineas winner, Sweeper. As a four-year-old he was romping in front of the Ascot Gold Cup field when a man ran out on the course, and horse and man fell heavily in the col-lission. Reigh Count, bred by Willis Sharpe Kilmer, but owned and raced under the colors of John D. Hertz, gave a splendid account of himself in England. Although he was defeated by Invershin in the Ascot Gold Cup in 1929, he did win the Coronation Cup. Since Reigh Count, such prominent American horses as Mate, Gusto and Twenty Grand have invaded English shores. Not since the Hertz horse won the Coronation Cup have American fans held the hope that a Yankee bred would duplicate the Foxhall feat as they do now with the Woodward champion, Omaha. No greater glory could come, to the son of Gallant Fox, which last year won the "American triple crown."
