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s News From England U. S. Buys Buoy Doncaster Vendue By CLIVE GRAHAM London Correspondent, Daily Racing Form LONDON, England, Aug. 21. News from the sales at Keeneland and Saratoga has supplied some encouragement .to tlje ven c 1 J "j f 3 t 1 g 1 dors of yearlings at our Doncaster Sale next month. Most of the sellers are in the mood to assimilate any information of a heartening nature. The top yearlings those with the conformation and looks to match a pedigree offering high-class potentialities are assured of selling figures un to 0,000. But these j 1 form only an insignificant percentage of the whole. Experienced judges of yearlings will agree that it is all too easy to take exception to so many different points and characteristics in any yearling that comes up for auction. Sir Victor Sassoon, the Aga Khan, Frank Dennis, Joe McGrath, and perhaps one or two foreign buyers, will be competing for the half dozen exceptional numbers. The middle of the market however looks anything but solid. In the years "before and immediately after the war, there were invariably some lavish spenders coming into ownership, with money to burn. This season, the stock markets are dull, and it seems doubtful whether the sale will hold to last years average. There was a pointer at the Newmarket July sales, when one-third of the lots listed failed to reach the reserve price placed on them by their vendors. We were discussing this subject on the week end with Sir Harry Davigdor Goldsmid, owner of the Somerhill Stjud, which is submitting four fillies and two colts. This farm used to sell at the Newmarket October auction, but has now been given a place at Doncaster, which Messrs: Tattersall are endeavouring to build up into their most sought-after offering of the year. As newcomers, the Somerhill Stud lots come under the hammer on the morning of the first day a day before the start of the St. Leger race meeting, and before the bulk of intending buyers has congregated in the Doncaster area. The pride of the Somerhill Stud is a lovely bay filly by Pharis II. out of Dort-gola by DjebeL This, filly stands 15 hands, 2 inches, and is a beautiful individual, walking with that rippling ease which seems sure to be translated into free, long-striding galloping action when her racing days come along. The owner is already resigned to seeing her pass out of the ring unsold. "Ill not altogether regret having her to carry my colors next .season," he remarked. But he fully realizes that this is bad for his business as a salesman of yearlings. Buyers are capricious about bidding against a reserve. Lord Carnarvon is sending only one yearling to Doncaster, a colt by Court Martial from a Big Game mare. It is his invariable custom to offer his youngsters without a reserve of any kind. The last four years have shown this to be an expensive policy. Last year, Lord Porchester, his son and heir, snapped up fathers Court Martial filly, Misdemeanour, for ,000. Put into training this year, the filly won two races, value ,000, and was sold last month to a California buyer for 5,000. This year, Lord Carnarvon is seeking to profit from this les-. son inculcated by Lord P.; he is not sending . his yearling fillies to auction, but putting them into training. Our National Stud is submitting eight ! yearlings, all colts. There is one unusual ; lot among them. This is the son of Hyperion from Joyce by Mr. Jinks, going back to Tillywhim, one of the mares who ; established this stud farms fame. This : colt is a gray, and, speaking without precise records, the writer would say that gray Hyperions could be counted on the fingers of both hands. Lord Derbys old horse will have a number of representatives at Doncaster. One " of them, out of the Brumeux mare, Mixed t Blessing, has the typical rich chestnut and j white markings of his sire. This colt is j being sent up by the Burton Agnes Stud, s who have also listed a youngster of inter-l national interest. The sire is Pot o Luck, who will be remembered by American race-- goers and is now performing stallion duty i in France. The dam, G a m b a r a, has "f I produced four previous winners, notably i Gulianar, winner of the Derby and Oaks l i in Hungary in 1950. Marcus Wickham J Boynton, owner of the Burton Agnes Stud, Continued on Page Fiity-One Graham Reports Continued from Page Two is less aggressive in his tactics than most vendors. "Theyre a nice level lot. Come and see them whenever you choose. You can pick out your own likes and dislikes better than I can," is his standing reply for enquiries. Others have once again convinced themselves, and are seeking: to do the same to anyone who might be interested, that they have bred "The best lot of yearlings ever produced at the farm." Of the two types of approach, we prefer the unobtrusive not forgetting of course, the Aesop fable of the boy who used to cry "wolf." York racing will have to be covered in our next dispatch. The feature of the holiday racing last week was the defeat of Ambiguity, winner of the Fpsom Oaks, in the Oxfordshire Stakes. In a three-horse race, she was no match for Harwin, a Harroway colt, who met her at level weights. Prince Charlemagne, receiving three pounds from the other two, was third. The race, run over one mile and five furlongs, marked the improvement made by Harwin since he won a maiden event in the spring. Pinza was taken to the meeting, but not saddled, owing to the firmness of the ground. Aureole, his St. Leger rival, again showed traces of wilfulness when exercised at Newmarket last Saturday. He whipped around repeatedly, and showed reluctance about following his. stable . companions up the gallop. It may be that he has become bored with the familiar Newmarket environment, but these displays of temper are an hereditary trait. It is certainly nothing for his St. Leger supporters to worry about. One prefers a colt to have some character of this type, just so long as he does not become unmanageable. As was pointed out, though, in the spring, he is in the right hands. Captain Boyd Rochf ort, his trainer, is a man of infinite patience, and has had long experience with this breed.
