Report from England: Clark Colt Join Iroquois on Roll, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-03

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Report From England Clark Colt Joins Iroquois on Roll -By CLIVE GRAHAM London Correspondent, Daily Racing Form EPSOM DOWNS, Epsom, England, June 2. Robert Sterling Clarks Never Say Die joined Iroquois on the roll of Epsom Downs Derby winners when this chestnut son of Nasrullah won todays 175th renewal by two lengths from Arabian Night with Darius a neck away, third of the 22 starters. This was the fifth time that an American owner has won our Derby. Never Say Die, from the War Admiral mare. Singing Grass, is the produce of an Irish mating with Nas- , rullah. The mare went across the Atlantic to have this Derby-winning foal. It was a gray, murky afternoon at Epsom and the cold north wind could not dissipate the haze which hung over the horseshoe shape track. It was a gray afternoon too for the majority of the quarter million spectators who packed the stands and crowded the infield. First and second horses both paid 33-to-l, while Darius, eased in the betting from overnight 9-to-2 to 7-to-l. Queen Elizabeth went into thepaddock to have a final word with Snaith who deputized for Sir Gordon Richards on Landau. The 22 starters filed sedately passed the grandstand in numerical order with orlly Blue Sail, the mount of Johnny Longden, showing traces of anxiety in the sweat on his flanks., From a good start, Moonlight Express, Alpenhorn, Rowston Manor and Blue Sail broke best- They were racing 10 wide up to the mile post where Lavengro slipped through on the inside to take a fractional lead off Rowston Manor, Landau and Blue Sail. Elopement was fifth in front of Darius, but neither Never Say Die nor Arabian Night were in the picture. . The complexion of the race changed as the runners took the downhill sweep around Tattenham Corner, Lavengro dropped out of contention while Rwston IVTonflv tim1linv 4 V. il. .v , uiuuiuis laiuci vimii racing, had to be urged by Douglas Smith to maintain equality with Landau. Blue Sail lay handily third, a neck, in front or Darius with elopement on the heels of this pair. Eighteen-year-old Lester Piggott, youngest jockey ever to. win the Epsom Derby, was progressing now into a more favorable position. Rowston Manor began to lose his place and Landau came clear into the stretch with Darius beginning to challenge. Perhaps, in retrospect, this was the most thrilling moment of an unexciting Derby, but its duration was only fleeing for suddenly wide of the other horses Piggott sent Never Say Die in a strong drive up the center of the track. The two leaders could not fight " against this show of inexorable superiority and the Derby was decided then and there a full quarter mile from the winning line. Arabian Night came late to get second place from Darius in a photo finish. Elopment, a couple of v lengths away, was fourth in front of Narrator. Then at an interval of three Continued on Page Forty-Three Report From England By CLIVE GRAHAM Continued from Page Five lengths Blue Prince, owned by Walter M. Jeffords at sixth place ahead of Row-ston Manor and Landau. The time of 2:35 was two seconds outside the record time put up by Mahmoud in 1936. Never Say Die rated below The Pie" King in last years Free Handicap is trained for Mr. Clark by veteran Joe Lawson at Newmarket. It was only the colts second win in his career. In winning the Derby he turned Newmarket stakes plaphigs on Elopment whose jockey Charlie Smirke stated afterwards: "He was beaten by the hill. Never Say Die combines in his pedigree the best that the British, American and French stud books can provide. His quarterings include Pharos, Man o War, Vatout and Sir Gallahad m. At this moment we are inclined to write this Derby as one of inferior class. But Nasrullahs son won it in really good style and it would be churlish to underrate his calibre. Well done America anyway.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954060301/drf1954060301_5_4
Local Identifier: drf1954060301_5_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800