view raw text
• 4 France Le Petit Prince May Come Here GODOLPHIN-DARLEY ; Paris Correspondent, Daily Racing Form PARIS, Prance. — The great event last Sunday in France was the 119th running f of the Prix du Jockey Club or French t • Derby, Derby, one one mile mile and and a a Derby, Derby, one one mile mile and and a a half at Chantilly and the toughest race at the distance in Europe. Jiist as an American sportsman won the English Derby at Epsom, the equivalent French classic also was to be won this season by an American-owned colt. Indeed destiny arranged for two American-owned can-owned horses horses to to can-owned horses horses to to finish first and second. Lawdy L. Lawrences Le Petit Prince at 10-1 beat Ralph B. Strassburgers Antares, 22-1, by one arid one-half lengths, with the best French-owned colt, Madame J. Cocherys Sica Boy,-favorite at 3-1, third by a neck. Strass-burger, who apparently did not think much of his colts chances, did not make the trip to Chantilly, preferring to remain at his beautiful house in Deauville. Lawrence, who customarily lives at Chantilly, had made previous arrangements to be in the States in Colorado. So the winning owner was also absent at Chantilly and it remained to his sister, Mrs. Field, to receive the congratulation, and also be the prey for the photographers and television men. Lawrence is universally recognized as one of the most knowledgeable men in the racing world and we trust he will not question us the pleasure of saying so. Now, when Marcel Boussac, the giant of the French turf, decided to part with Charles II. Semblat as his private trainer, Lawrence did not hesitate. He quickly arranged for the new public trainer, Semblat, to come into the yard at Green Lodge and train his horses along with the score left in his charge by Boussac. The Darley fruits were not long maturing and another French Derby winner was trained by Semblat. Not long ago Lawrence expressed his belief that Semblat is a great trainer in our presence. That was to John D. Schapiro, president of Laurel, during the latters recent visit to Paris, in the box at Longchamp when Le. Petit Prince was second in the Prix Noailles. Le Petit Prince raced four times in England as a two-year-old -without success, never figuring at all. This season in France, the colt ran second and first in maiden company before moving into top class when second to Le Grand Bi at Longchamp. Le PetitPrince was turned out at Chantilly in top condition and his splendid appearance in the paddock, whatever the performance was to be, was a credit to his trainer. Le Petit Prince is by Prince Bio and is the latter sires third clasic winner. The previous two were Sicambre, unbeaten leading colt of his age in 1951, and Northern Light, the 1953 Grand Prix de Paris winner. Prince Bio commands the highest service fee in France, ,700. The stallion is by Prince Rose out of Biologie, by Bac- I teribphage, and stems from the male line so successful in. the States through Prince -quillo and in England through Prince Chevalier, a line which was developed basically by Lawrence. The dam of Le Petit Prince, Mercia, was bred in France in 1931 by J. D. Cohn j and was later sent to England only to return to France in 1946. Mercia is by Teddy out of Pride of Hainault, by Hau-nault, and was a winner at two. She was a sister to five other winners. Her foal - in 1947 by Signal Light,, the filly Hero, was not started at two but was a top performer at .three and even better at four. The foals immediately before Le Petit Prince were not much, and Mercia was 20 years old when she dropped him. Along with all the stock that year, Le Petit Prince was offered for sale as a yearling. Fortunately for his breeder the colt found, no ready buyer. A year earlier, Lawrence had sold as a yearling last seasons Prix Royal Oak, or French Leger, winner Buisson dOr, by Coastal Traffic. The runner-up, Antares, was purchased from Madame J. Courturie for 5,000 at Deaville yearling sales and this lady owner-breeder of the French Oaks winner Tahiti came very close to a double as a breeder. Antares is by Norseman, bred by Mr. Strass-burger. and is out of 1943 Amboyna, who was bred by Lord Derby. Amboyna was not a winner but is by Bois Roussel out of Aurora, who, among other winners, also produced Bprealis and most of all Alycidon Continued on Page Fifty-Three Repqrt From France By GODOLPHIN DARLEY Continued from Page Six top winner and top, sire in England. Aurora is out of the wonderful branch of the Nol family, which, stemming from Marchetta, by Marco, also accounts for Ambiorix, Sayano, My Babu, Cagire TJ. and Turn-to. The Prix du Jockey Club drew a field of 19 from a total of 419 nominations filed in November, 1952, of which 19 were • from England and nine from Italy. With stakes of 50 and added money of 4,000, the share to the winner this year amounted to S36.000. Heavy rain lashed down as the jockeys mounted in the paddock and lasted throughout the race. The going, already heavy and sticky, became almost impossible and the time was 2:43%. At the break, the pacemaker Mondragon went to the front followed by Beigler Bey, Mahan, Le Petit Prince, Le Grand Bi, Sica Boy and Popof. Passing along the stables and down, toward the castle, Mondragon was in front of Beigler Bey, with Le Petit Prince and Le Grand Bi together and Sica Boy, Popof and New Sun close by. Up the climb around the last turn there was no change. Then, coming into the stretch; the leader dropped out, leaving Le Petit Prince ahead of Beigler Bey, Sica Boy and Le Grand Bi, with Antares and Major closing fast on the outside. Under full pressure from his rider, B. Bertiglia, Le Petit Prince maintained his position, despite the strong challenge from Sica Boy and Antares, who apparently were running easier. However, at the finish Le Petit Prince was still first, whereas Antares just beat Sica Boy for second money. Major was fourth three lengths away, New Sun fifth, Volpone sixth, Yorick seventh and Le Grand Bi eighth. Beigler Bey, prominent throughout and coming into the run home, disappeared completely, and so did Popof, joint favorites at 4-1. The morning pools paid high returns.. The Couple Forecast the first and second horses regardless of the order paid 1,621 for a 10-francs stake and the Tierce Forecast first, second and third horses at the finish returned for a similar 10 francs stake either 11,010 francs, if the horses were named in the exact order, or 2,202 if given in any order. On the same Chantilly card, a maiden race saw Boussacs Estremadur appear in public and the colt, reckoned the best in the stable, won by 10 lengths. Estre-. madur is by Djebel out of the greatest dam of the time, Astronomie, dam of five classic winners, Arsyas, Caracalla, Arbar, Asmena, and Arbele. The stable will aim for the biggest events in England and France with Estremadur. It was a pity that such a fine colt was not conditioned one race earlier in order to start in the French Derby. All the owners in France are hoping to have a runner in the fall at Laurel in the Washington, D. C, International. The Epsom Oaks winner, Sun Cap, may be listed as a probable starter. Even more so is the recent French Derby winner. Lawrence was, and is, one of the most ardent supporters of the event and is largely responsible for the good-will built up among -French owners toward the Laurel feature. In the case of the French Oaks winner, Tahiti, the filly will not go to the states, since she already once refused to embark upon a plane. Another possible candidate from France, besides the leading group of runners in the French Derby is Soleil Levant, by the coming sire, Sunny Boy, out of Sif, by Rialto, the dam of -Sicambre. On Pentacost Monday the 2,000 Grand Prix du Printempts brought together the three-year-olds and the older group at Saint-Cloud at one mile and a half. The winner was Jean Syerns Soleil Levant by one length. Madame Volterras Norsemour, by Norseman, with the four-year-old stake mares, Balis t it e, Gourabe and Banassa, respectively, third, fourth and fifth. The winner is considered a top classic colt, but he ran badly twice at Lbngchamp, where the course is clockwise. For this reason the colt gave up the French Derby at Chantilly, where the course, is likewise right-Handed. At Saint-Cloud the course turns anti-clockwise, as in the states, and the colt experienced no trouble. Soleil Levants next outing will be in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, in which he will meet Prince Rouge, another top three-year-old colt. Prince Rouge was injured in his last start at Longchamp, but fortunateIy the cut was not so severe as it looked at first sight. Tomorrow, Sunday, at Auteuil starts off the big week with the Grand Steeplechase de Paris, four miles. This is over all the various types of fences, small and large, at weight-for-age for five-year-olds and upward and is the outstanding event on the Fjrench jumping calendar. The champion Fif relet broke down in his last start arid the most favored Sunday will be Burlador, 6r-leans, Le Magnifique and last years winner, Pharamorid TH. Favorite will be Dia-anonfc de Bourgogne, who finished last season by winning the £wo biggest events in the fall, both at three miles, three furlongs. Wednesday at Auteuil the Grand Course de Haies Dauteuil, three miles and one furlong, open to four-year-olds and upward, will be run. Favorite will be the four-year-old Sicie and his chief rivals are El Trianero, Vicomte DU., Serpent and Frascati, last seasons winner. In both the major Auteuil events the only penalty is for previous winners of the same races, who carry 10 pounds extra. Friday the "Prix des Drags will be contested and that day is traditionally Fashion Day. Lets hope the weather will change. Last week, Comte Gaston Niel was elected president of the Societe d Encouragement, succeeding Baron Foy, deceased. Since 1949 Comte Niel, a cavalry officer and grandson of Field Marshal -Niel, minister of war under Napoleon TJI, was chief steward and president of the French Federation of racing, in which dual capacity he was at the head of everything to do with racing in France.
