view raw text
Ireland Report Prendergast May Go to England By MICHAEL OlIEIIIR Our Dublin Correspondent DUBLIN, Ireland. There is so much to report this week that we feel like saying move over to some of my colleagues, but, of course, will not. First of all we haxe had the first visit to Ireland of John Scha-piro of Laurel, then there is the report that Paddy Prendergast the trainer is to leave Ireland to train in England next year. Add to this the prospect of Ballymoss in the colors of John McShain and trained by Vincent OBrien being a live contender for the Epsom Derby next week when Chevastnd also runs for Ireland. For good measure, M too, we report a runaway win at Baldoyle nc not by Eleonora R. Sears classically engaged be be colt Ampleforth so you no doubt see what- we mean by having a full story to tell. p fa Schapiro has visited many countries in in in connection with the Laurel International L race, but until now he has missed out P Ireland. He is certainly making: up for j m lost time for in the first few days he saw te Paddy Prendergasts stable he is the tr Americans host, has been with Capt. di Darby Rogers at The Curragh, visited Seamus McGraths stable in Co. Dublin, d had a lengthy interview with the Irish F President OKelly and met the press taken all around a hectic merry go round. May be add that Schapiro has made a very favorable impression. People who ex- B pected a movie type American rushabout f business man the movies have a lotr to answer for in this respect were agreeably B pleased with the manner and courtesy of the visitor who has created an immense n amount of good will for his race by his $; visit here. E J It was our honor to introduce "Mr. c, "Washington International" to His Excel- v Iency, the President of Ireland. They en- a joyed a friendly informal chat in which His Excellency paid a handsome tribute to the work done., for international sport B and horse racing in particular by the Laurel folk. Incidentally, the President o recalled opening Suffolk Downs race a course back in 1939 and also seeing a Kentucky Derby of 1926. The President J expressed his- good wishes to Schapiro and the Washington, D. C. International r race in the future and a lengthy and 1 very pleasant interview was over. z The Laurel executive was at The Curragh last Wednesday for the Irish 2,000 Guineas ; we discuss it next week and then left " t for England and Epsoms Derby. In this 5 x race we will have two live contenders. Not k heralded as world champions, not among j the boosted group but still we feel that fc both Joe McGraths Chevastrid and John 1 j McShains Ballymoss will run well in the 5 British classic. 1 Ballymoss was a good two-year-old , and this year after being unplaced first : time out won the Trigo Stakes over a mile and one-half at Leopardstown. Since then he has had a very satisfactory work- , out in private at The Curragh and we are not giving away any secrets when we say that he is expected to run well. He is trained by Vincent OBrien, who although known as a trainer of jumpers above all has also won an Irish Derby and had a winner at Royal Ascot. Runner-up to Ballymoss at Leopardstown n was Chevastrid, a half brother to Pana-slipper by the sire of Derby winner, Arctic c Prince Prince Chevalier. He, too, has done very well since that race and when we e saw him recently he looked very well. We are not by any means confident of f success, but we will be surprised if they do not run well. At Baldoycle recently we saw Ampleforth h in the colors of Eleanora Sears put up a a really fine performance in cantering home in a stakes race. It was not a race at all, 11, it was a formality in which the winner was is never out of a canter and showed signs is of being the very good horse his connections 1- hold him to be. He is likely to run 111 in another stakes race at Leopardstown rn Saturday and he should prove himself another 1 winner. His objective now is likely ?y to be the Irish Derby on June 26. We e have written before of this son of Arctic ic Continued on Page Fifty-One Report From Ireland By MICHAEL OHEHIR Continued from Page Ten Star and Riding Fair - whose appearance is nowadays being matched by his ability. There have been big stories here that Paddy Prendergast, who was our leading trainer, is to go to. England to train next year. The well-known conditioner has said so himself and at the moment is intent on going there. Although he has not stated the reason we understand that he is dissatisfied with the type of races that are staged in Ireland for his type of iwo -year-olds. Since he started training some 15 years ago with just one horse he built up the Prendergast empire with two-year-olds trained and raced in, Ireland, but apparently there is a change of plans in the stable and he has thought so different tactics. - As one who has known this trainer for several years, through good times and not so" good, we cannot help wondering if he will ever make the big change over from Ireland to England when the actual push comes. There are many factors to be considered and we feel that he would at heart be much happier, and more successful, too,, based in Irelandr Time will tell and we shall watch developments very keenly. He has not had a two-year-old winner at Naas for two seasons but last Saturday made up for this in style when Frank Mc-Mahons good-looking and well-tried colt by Arctic Prince Flatter skated up in a maiden two-year-olds race. The colt, named Alberta King, is in our view a natural for Royal Ascot next month and we feel that he could go on to big things. A good looker, a grand mover and a colt of quality is our View of the Prendergast-trained, American-owned colt. By the way, the same stables S. Phideas, owned by. A. O. Dietz of New York, won at Baldoycle last week after being almost on the ground at half way. He came from behind to beat a previous winner, Bally-nilty, over .a mile and one-half and add to his The Curragh win as a two-year-old last season.
