view raw text
Longden Hails Blue Sail, His Epsom Derby Mount American Rider Spends 15 Minutes With Max Bells Colt at Stables DUBLIN, Ireland, May 26.— Yorkshire-born Johnny Longden spent 15 minutes yesterday with his English Derby mount, Blue Sail, before exclaiming with a grin, "He is good." Longden, who will pilot Max Bells horse in the Epsom classic June 2, arrived here ; with Bell and drove immediately to trainer Michael Dawsons stables at Rathbridge Manor, near The Curragh race, course, to give his mount the once-over. • Longden met a barrage of questions from newsmen at the stables with a laconic Could be ... " "Might be ... " replies. He was asked, among other things, whether he thought he could beat Sir Gordon Richards on Queen Elizabeths horse, Landau. Longden then asked the journalists to "excuse me while I go talk with my horse." He went into box 23, closed -the door and started stroking Blue Sail— 100 to 7 in the betting — whispering to him as the horse nuzzled his shoulder. "He is good!" shouted Longden when he came out.. Blue Sail was then paraded around the paddock with Johnny watching keenly and nodding as the horse-wise Irishmen present said: "Looks good, Johnny, doesnt he?" Blue Sails Canadian owner admitted he was "very pleased" with his horses condition. "Weve got a sporting chance," he added.
