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Ireland Sire Arctic Star Gains Importance By TOM COOPER DUBLIN, Ireland. — Following the success of Arctic Wind in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the young stallion, Arctic Star, gained further kudos when his son, Hidalgo, won the Gallinule Plate at The Curragh. This race, run over one and one-quarter miles with a stiff uphill finish, is considered a semi-classic. It is, in fact, the first race of the season in which the classic colts and fillies meet at a greater distance than one mile. Hidalgo,- a 13-to-2 chance, had failed to win any of his four previous races. Promising in both starts as a two-year-old the Arctic Star colt commenced the current season by finishing a very fast third to Blue Sail. His next race was the Tetrarch Plate of seven furlongs in which he finished fourth to Tale of Two Cities and Blue Sail, with the Guineas winner, Arctic Wind, just behind him. Last week Hidalgo raced clear in the straight and eventually won very easily by eight lengths from Irish Slipper. Having inherited good looks from his sire, Hidalgo has also been blessed with stamina from his dams family. He is a half brother to five winners, while his dam, Senora, was a winner herself and own sister to a good horse in Senor. Senora was sired by the Derby winner, Trigo, out of a Son-in-Law mare. Her brother, Senor, won the Ormond Stakes among other races and finished second in the Irish Derby and the Irish St. Leger. Several others of the high class winners in this family possessed abundant stamina, notably Frawn who won the Ascot Stakes. The result of the Gallinule Plate creates further interest in the Irish Derby to be run over one and one-half miles at The Curragh next Wednesday. Hidalgo must now be considered one of the most likely of the Irish -trained candidates to keep the biggest prize of the year at home. Probable favorite and problem horse of the race is Tale of Two Cities. As we wrote a couple of weeks ago, Tale of Two Cities appeared; to be an unlucky loser of the Irish 2,000 Guineas for which he started an odds-on favorite. Unlucky because his jockey failed to find an opening until too late. The fact that he was probably given instructions to ride a waiting race arouses a suspicion that his trainer has some doubt as to the Tehran colts stamina. Bearing this in mind we are confronted with a theoretical breeding problem. In addition to the undisputed stamina of Tehran, Tale of Two Cities should also be endowed with the same quality from his dams pedigree. His maternal grandsire, Jock, could stay forever, while no one has ever questioned the stoutness of his maternal great grandsirei Tourbillon. In spite of, and in contradiction because of his breeding, we mistrust the staying powers of any colt who has shown himself to possess such brilliant speed as Tale of Two Cities. We shall all know the answer next Wednesday. Other Irish colts with strong claims are Artie Wind, Calvero and Blue Sail. Artie Wind beat Tale of Two Cities and Calvero in the Guineas, but may not be as well suited by the extra half mile. Neither he nor Calvero, who will have the assistance of Rae Johnstone in the saddle, have run since the first classic. Blue Sail, with Johnny Longden up, was among the leaders around Tattenham Corner in the Derby at Epsom. He was third entering the straightaway, but dropped back to finish tenth. The soft going at The Curragh will be all in Blue Sails favor. It is not yet known how many challengers for the race will come from England, but a certain runner is the Aga Khans Bois le Roi. This Bois Roussel colt has twice won over the distance in England this season. Last time out he defeated himself by dislodging jockey Charlie Smirke at the start. Combination of the Aga Khans colors and Charlie Smirke Continued on Page Forty-Eight Report* From Ireland By TOM COOPER Continued from Page Six have a great record in the Irish classic races, but this years candidate may not be quite up to their standard. In a very open race we think that Canadian Max Bells colors may be carried to victory by Blue Sail. Blarney — Causing much favorable comment here at the moment is New Zealand lightweight jockey Bill Stevens." Stevens has been leading jockey in India for the last three years. He came to Ireland on the advice of our own top jockey, Aubrey Brabazon, whom he met in India last Christmas. Stevens goes to the scale at 110 pounds, at which weight there is plenty of room for good riders in Ireland. His latest success was a polished effort on the good Sayajirao filly, Dark Issue, in the Amott two-year-old Plate at Phoenix Park. . . . Two exceptionally good-looking colts dead-heated for third place in this race. These were Bert Kerrs Crown Crest, by Big Game out of Her Highness, and Joe McGraths Bally Martial, by Court Martial out of Ballytickle. . . . Joe Griffins brilliant hurdler, Galatian, was sent over to England for a flat race at Sandown Park last Saturday. Galatian won the Coombe Stakes, the most valuable race of the day.
