view raw text
f- ri England Postponement of Royal Ascot Meeting To Affect Overall Picture for Year 1 -By CLIVE GRAHAM London Correspondent, Daily Racing Form LONDON, England. The postponement of Royal Ascot, which has been forced on The Jockey Club, seems sure to have a serious effect on the overall picture of British racing this year. This picturesque traditional fixture, with its 50,000 worth of prize money, is in more ways than one, the very centrepiece of our annual racing calendar. For many years vic- tory in any of the long-established races at Royal Ascot has added a special cachet to any horses racing record; Thew 0,000 Ascot Gold Cup whose disappearance from the course once coincided on the celebrated news-bill with Mark Twains arrival in England has had its upg and downs as a hallmark of our best bloodstock. In the old days some 70, 80 years ago this two and one-half mile test brought the elite of English and French bloodstock into opposition. Isonomy 1879-80 was twice winner, and St. Simon won the event 1884 as a three-year-old. Cyllene 1899 was another notable victor, but the Gold Cup declined in importance with the turn of the century. With the emphasis laid on speed and more speed, the demand for Gold Cup winners as stud horses began to lessen. Over the last 25 years there have been many more failures than successes noted among the Ascot Gold Cup laureates. Precipitation 1937 and now Alycidon 1949 stand out in splendid relief. Precipitation has played a vital part in resuscitating the Hurry On line and Alycidon is fulfilling the same function for Blandford. We had looked on the race scheduled this week as a virtual "walk-over"- for Marcel Boussacs Elpenor. It is doubtful whether he would have been strongly opposed, for Jack Gerber had half decided to keep By Thunder for a tilt against Narrator in the Hardwicke Stakes. The postponement of Ascot has now brought the Ascot Gold Cup perilously close in time to the even longer Goodwood Cup oftwo miles, five furlongs. In previous years, with a month or five weeks intervening, it was not uncommon to race horses in both these big Cup events. Trainers will not beso happy this year to ask any of their horses to achieve the double. Englands loss may prove to be Americas gain. The Atlantic City stakes program, with its emphasis on turf racing, makes highly attractive reading on this side of the Atlantic. Joe" McGrath has already sent a batch of his three-year-olds to America, and -Flying Story, in particular, should prove a formidable contender for grass racing. Jack Gerber will also be interested in these events for his colt Royal Palm, own brother to the exported successful racer, Royal Serenade. Royal Palm, reversed Irish Two Thousand Guineas placings recently with Flying Story at Epsom on Derby Day over a mile and one-sixteenth. Deferment of. the Ascot meetings means-that we are still left in the dark as to Our Babus ability to race around turns. The Guineas winner was noticeably, clumsy at rounding the corner in his- first public effort of the season at Kempton Park. Tamerlane, however, seems certain to be suited to American track racing, and the same can be said for the French-trained Klairen. The renewal of the first classic encounter between Our Babu and Tamerlane in Ascots St. James Palace Stakes -was one of the tidbits we have had to forfeit this week. Tamerlanes owner, Lord Por-chester, has an adventurous disposition, and it. seems highly probable that he will be closely interested in the Atlantic City offerings. Tamerlanes stable companion, Gloria Nicky, also appears, from this quarter, a more than possible candidate for such a race as the Pageant Stakes on September 5, for three-year-old fillies, over one mile and a sixteenth. Gloria Nicky, until the advent and blossoming of Meld, had seemed likely to be the best of her sex this season, for she demonstrated unquestionable superiority when winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket last October. During the winter she was promoted a firm first choice for the One Thousand Guineas, but teething trouble intervened. She was found to be irritated by two abcesses, .which had formed in her jaw. As a result, she entirely lost her sparkle and showed such poor form in workouts, that she was withdrawn from her classic engagements. From her style of working she has not yet shown that she is well on the way to recapturing her 1954 ability. It seems- doubtful to this observer whether she would ever beat Mejd In fair fight ROBERT LEVY Atlantic City staff member visiting in England was pleased to learn of the interest by English horsemen in the turf course stakes to be run at the Seashore course. for Lady Zia Wehners Alycidon filly is an exceptional creature. A A - A. Gloria Nicky also, incidentally, by Alycidon is an intended runner at the Goodwood meeting, which is held in the last week of July. If she can show there that she has regained her zest, some such race as the Pageant Stakes, which closes after the conclusion of the Goodwood meeting, might prove a highly attractive inducement to her owner, Mrs. Robert Digby. This writer will be in touch with the Atlantic City Racing Association on behalf of several English owners and trainers, who are already eying favorably the sequence of turf races on this track not least, the 0,000 Foreign Bred Stakes and the ensuing United Nations Handicap. If any competitors materialize from this side, the outcome will be a direct tribute to the pioneer work of John D. Schaplro. This point was made by young Bobby Levy, who paid a brief visit with his bride to London on their honeymoon last week. He. was delighted to learn of the close interest now being taken by all branches of British horsemen in the turf prizes which American tracks have to offer.
