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I I ! ■ . . j | J : 1 [ • ! I I ■ I ■ ■ , . i 1 : : , I , . ; i , . Saga of Durbar II. 1914 Epsom Victor American-Owned Colt, Bred In France, Had Pedigree Flaw Under Jersey Act By Special Correspondent. NEWMARKET. England.— Only one horse trained in France ever has won the worlds most famous race, the Derby Stakes at Epsom. This was the American-owned, -ridden and -trained Durbar II., who carried off the classic in 1914. He was owned by Herman B. Duryea, who also bred the successful invader in France. The colt was ridden by Mathew McGee and conditioned i by Tommy Murphy, still active in his pro- fession in his native land. Yet, Durbar II. was ineligible for the General English Stud Book. Durbar II. was the first horse trained in France to win the Derby, for the mighty French-bred Gladiateur, who won the Triple Crown in 1865 for Count de Legrange, was regularly trained at Newmarket by Tom Jennings, whereas Durbar n. was shipped over from Chantilly to Epsom Downs for his great triumph. Durbar II. s victory was an easy one, as he scored by three lengths over Ernest Cas- sels Hapsburg, a 33 to 1 shot. A rank • outsider, at 100 to 1, H. J. Kings Peter the Hermit was a length and one-half farther back, in third place. Lord Derby owned the fourth horse in Dan Russell, who was quoted at 66 to 1. Incidentally, the first four horses were by sons of St. Simon. Durbar II. paid 20 to 1, coming in for strong support by his owner, stable associ-t ates and the rank and file of French players. The colt boasted fair credentials in his native land before crossing the stormy Eng- lish Channel. The choice for the race was Sir John Thursbys homebred colt Kenny-more, winngrof the earlier classic, the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket. The lat-| ter closed at 9 to 4. Here he killed his prospects early by swerving across the en-I tire course at the start and was immediately eliminated from the race. Impressive Form in Spring Durbar II. had run once unplaced as a two-year-old in France. He started his three-year-old career with an easy victory in the ten-furlong Prix de St. Cloud March 13, 1914. Eleven days later he won the ten- furlong Prix Delatre. Next outing he was defeated a length by the mighty Sardana-pale in the ten-furlong Prix Lagrange at Maissons-Lafitte. He picked up his winning thread in his next start, the ten-furlong Prix Biennal at Longchamps April 26. Seven days later, as a final test for his English engagement and over the same course, he won the one mile and a half Prix Noailles. His form that spring justified his owners plan to send him to Epsom to meet Englands best. On his consistent good form over extended distances in France the son of Rabelais was entitled to a little more respect than was accorded him in the betting market. But where did Durbar II., a rather under-sized bay, get the flaw barring him from the English Stud Book? He was foaled April 7, 1911, a son of the good race horse Rabelais a son of St. Simon and Satirical who was bred In England, but that, like most sons of His noted sire, was at the close of his successful racing career purchased for stud purposes in France, out of Armenia, by Meddler. This is the direct female line through his dam Armenia, whose pedigree is an extremely short one, ending with his ninth dam, an unnamed mare, bred in America. Durbar II.s dam, grandam and great grandam were particularly good race mares, and the family is one which has done well in America, while several members won in England. Reason for Exclusion Durbar II. could not be accepted for the English Stud Book as the rule now stands, because him grandam, Urania, was by Hanover, and though a great many of Hanovers descendants Rhoda B., dam of Orby, the Derby Stakes winner, for instance got in under the old conditions, entrance later was tightened under the so-called "Jersey Act." Now anything with "Hanover" blood in its veins is barred. This is the reason why Sir Martin and other good American racers were refused admission. Urania, the grandam of Durbar II., was a favorite mare of the late William C. Whitney. Her dam, Wanda, was the best performer of her day in America, and two of her daughters were accepted in the Gen- j eral Stud Book, Wantage Belle 1896 and Golden Wand 1898. Whitney sent Urania from America to the court of the Triple Crown winner, Persimmon, the result of the mating being Perseus III., a winner of 0,000. An application to in- ! elude the latter in the English Stud Book was refused. Another American horse had won the Derby Stakes in 1881. This was Iroquois, who came from the purest English blood in tail-female, though his grandam was by Boston, a horse who did not trace to a mare in the English volume. Under the conditions then, Iroquois was eligible for admission to the General Stud Book. When Duryea died in 1916 he left Dur- I bar II. to his wife. The horse did well as a sire in France, before she brought him over to America and sold him in 1926 at the Saratoga Sales for 7,000 to D. Mc-Cully. Durbar II. died in 1931. Durbar II.s Derby Stakes was not the only English classic to fall to Duryea, as his green, white hoop sleeves were successful in 1912, when Sweeper II., ridden by the American jockey Danny Maher, won the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. Sweeper II., a son of Broomstick, who also won as a two-year-old the Triennial Stakes at Ascot and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, was trained by the Irish conditioner, H. S. "Atty" Persse, at Chattis Hill, Stockbridge.
