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I JUDGES STAND By Charles Hatton Heliopolis Bred From Minstrels Pattern . Hyperion Also in Blue Trains Pedigree x Sire of Woodwards Epsom Oaks Heroine English Classic Courses Exacting Test LEXINGTON, Ky., May 26. The most talked-about thoroughbred around the world just jjiow is Tudor Minstrel, the spectacular English colt who is a "death and taxes" favorite for the .Epsom Derby on June 7 au vuumx an j-uiigiianiiiun neie hug lung ago, the conversation got around to the famed Epsom classic, and he assured us that "The Minstrel" is indeed a runner. Fancy a colt winning the Two Thousand a split second behind the record while his jockey is patting his neck and playfully pulling at his ears. It was a sheer exhibition after the first furlong, and our English friend supposes that Tudor Minstrel is nimble enough to get around the tricky mile and a half of the Epsom Derby course at a minimum of wasted effort. We read somewhere that even the staid London Daily Telegraph thinks "The Minstrel" is perhaps the horse of the century, and shudder to think what might happen if he rolls a twelve in the Derby. Meanwhile there are breeders in this country who may congratulate themselves tha : they have some of the blood in Tudor Minstrels pedigree at their studs. His sire is a son of Hyperion, who is represented here by Heliopolis, Pensive, Hypnotist and the coveted Alibhai. His dam is Sansonnet, by Sansovino, by Swynford, who is the sure of Challenger n. Offhand we should say that Dale Shaffers young Heliopolis is bred from the same general pattern as Tudor Minstrel, for he is by Hyperion out of the excellent producer, Drift, by Swynford. J. A. Dewar bred The Minstrel along the best approved lines at Lord Derbys stud. There is one aspect of this remarkable colts, pedigree that will please Pete Widener and Price Headley. He is inbred to Gondolette, though not closely. You see, Hyperion is out of her daughter, Selene, the dam also of Sickle and Pharamond II. Sansovino was out of Gondolette herself. Derby has made quite a success of inbreeding to Gondolette. It is rather a curious thing that when an American can persuade himself to try inbreeding, it is usually to some stallion he likes, although it is estimated by breeders that the mares influence on the foal is the stronger by anything from 70 to 90 per cent. Breeders on The Tight Little Isle inbreed to mares like our own Myrtlewood, Ormonda or La Troienne. There is a great deal of talk about International Specials, such as the 00,000 Gold Cup that Jimmy Butler is presenting, but we shall not be at all surprised if most of it evaporates. In the first place, winning Englands Triple Crown preoccupies the classic colts there from May to September, so that one cant hope very strongly that they might be lured here. Then there is the August 1 birthday of South American and Aus- tralian horses, which would be disadvantageous in weight-forage races here. John Hertz is somewhat of an authority on the subject, so we told him that we should be interested in having his opinion, and he ventured to say that the invader assumes "the worst of it" no matter where the race is held. He recalled that Reigh Count had to learn to run all over again in England. "Horses here naturally lead with the left foot," he observed, "whereas most of the racing over there is clockwise, and they lead with the other foot. Our courses are pretty much alike in that they are fairly level and banked toward the inner rail. Many English courses have some, fairly sharp dips and rises in them. They also incline toward the inner rail in some places, away from it in others. A thing which makes it more awkward for an American horse is that the racing plates there are perfectly flat, and there is no grab on them, such as our horses wear. The first time Reigh Count tried to negotiate an English course, he slid on the turf first one way, then another, and ran in a series of leaps. There are rises in the course toward the finishes of the Ascot Cup and the Derby, and I think I have never seen both, horses and jockeys, so exhausted as they are after an Ascot Cup. If a horse is badly made in any way, or has an impurity of action, either of those races will find it out." American breeders may be interested also that there is some of the blood that is responsible for the colt Blue Train, who Is the nearest thing to a rival for Tudor Minstrel, at the studs in this country. His Majestys Newmarket Stakes winner is by Blue Peter, who is out of a Royal Minstrel mare. The dam of Blue Train is Sun Chariot, the smartest classic filly of recent years abroad. Here we find Hyperion again, for he is her "sire. Yesterday at Claiborne we saw a good daughter of Hyperion in William Woodwards Hycilla, who captured the Epsom Oaks. It will be interesting to observe how she fares at stud here. Turfiana: Judge Church has been named head of the Virginia Horsemens .Association. . . . Del Holeman will give his annual barbecue at Pilot Knob in Tennessee on June 8, and says that the big bubble will burst at 1:00 p. m. . . . Coronium has foaled a Reaping Reward filly that is the last expected this season at Coldstream. . . . Brookmeades colt, Inseperable, a winner in his first sally postward, is a half-brother to Triplicate, and his dam is the last daughter of Fair Play. . . . Mary-landers say 0,000 has been rejected for Saggy. Witch Sir and Preoccupy Turn in Trials HAWTHORNE, Cicero, 111., May 26. Louis Schlossers Witch Sir, winner of the 1946 renewals of the Equipoise Mile Handicap and the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington Park, visited the Sportsmans Park training track on Sunday morning for an easy three-furlong breeze. Witch Sir, recently returned to Chicago from the West Coast, completed his task over the muddy strip in :39. John Marschs Proccupy, a nominee for Fridays Peabody Memorial Handicap, visited the Hawthorne course this morning and worked six furlongs over the muddy footing in 1:17, handily. Preoccupy, who won his last start at Churchill Downs, went from the gate in his move and pulled up satisfactorily to trainer Burly Parke. A. B. Karles K. Doe-Doe was breezed a mile today at Hawthorne in 1:53. Not asked for high speed at any stage of his trial, K. Doe-Doe, an eligible for Saturdays LaSalle Handicap, came back in good condition after his early trial through the i soft going.
