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Ireland President, Wife Attend the Races By TOM COOPER Dublin Correspondent, Daily Racing Form DUBLIN, Ireland. — Last week was an exceptionally busy one for followers of Irish racing. There were six days of two days at Baldoyle, running concurrently with the Water ford and Tramore Whitsuntide meeting, one day. at Downpatrick and one at Limerick-Junction. A seventh days scheduled racing had to be abandoned, owing to very heavy rain which flooded urday. The program had to be cancelled, and a new meeting was fixed for July 15. Six days of racing in one week in a country the size of Ireland is considered quiet enough by officials and racegoers, who had to do considerable traveling. Although the principal race of the week was the Howth Handicap, a valuable sprint run at Baldoyle on Whit Monday, the most interesting event was the attendance of His Excellency the president of Ireland, Sean T. OKelly, and Mrs. OKelly at the Waterford and Tramore meeting the same day. That morning, the president received the honor of the freedom of the City of Waterfordj a privilege which has been given only a few times previously. In the afternoon, His Excellency motored the eight miles between the City of Waterford and the seaside resort of Tramore, for another race meeting. On their arrival at the track, H. E. the president and Mrs. OKelly were received by Jack Duggan and Tom Fleming on behalf of the Tramore Race Company, and by Colonel Mitchell and Major Vigors, representing the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase stewards. The Waterford and Tramore meeting is one of the oldest and most popular in Ireland and owes much of its success to the Fleming family. The present manager, Tom Fleming, is one of the most progressive turf officials in Ireland and he has improved the facilities at Tramore out of all recognition in the writers memory. Before him, his father, the late "Baron" Fleming, was one of the original Tramore directors. It is difficult to find a comparison in America for the Waterford and Tramore meeting. The closest approach would be found in one of the hunt meetings, but the importance of the Waterford and Tramore racing in Ireland is considerably more than that of a hunt meeting in the States. Never holding more than six or eight days racing in the year, Tramore attracts a bigger crowd in proportion than most of the Dublin meetings. This popularity of the country meetings in Ireland at the expense of the metropolitan meetings is worrying the governing bodies of Irish racing. Not only do the country meetings attract the crowds, but they are now attracting bigger fields. The more valuable races at The Curragh are starved by the absence of human and equine attendance. In our opinion, the reason for the popularity of the country meetings is the fact that the majority of them always offer a mixed program. At Tramore the card consisted of three flat races, two hurdle races and one steeplechase. The average Irishman is a great lover of horses generally, but, in particular, jumpers. In addition to- the thrills of watching horses jumping, the Irishman believes, and to a certain extent had proved, that a jumping race is a better medium for gambling than a flat race. At first sight, this may appear ridiculous, but if- one examines the proportion of successful favorites or second favorites in jumping races in Ireland against their counterparts on the flat, there is no doubt that the steeplechase or hurdle race offers a more attractive betting medium. The principal race at the opening stage of the Waterford and Tramore meeting was termed H. E. The Presidents Plate. This race, on the flate at a mile and a half, was won by Warrenscourt Lad. Afterward, the president presented the winning trainer and rider with mementoes of the occasion. This race had a nominal value of ,120 as against the ,800 Howth at Baldoyle the same day. The class of the field in the latter race was shown by the fact that Trouville, who finished third in Continjed on Page Thirteen Report From Ireland By TOM COOPER Continued from Page Twelve the Irish Two Thousand Guineas recently, could get no closer than fourth place behind Charlie Rogers Star Gazer. The winner is a typical son of the excellent sire of sprinters, Denturius. Star Gazer was one of three winners that afternoon for trainer Rogers. Three of Irelands best three-year-old colts left Shannon Airport last Sunday for Belmont Park. These were the former McGrath-trained trio, Flying Story, Ballymartial and Trialmonds Slipper. These colts have an advantage over most of the Irish horses formerly shipped to America. All have been well schooled out of the American-type starting gate imported by the McGraths last fall.
