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. ► ■ — , i France ] Texana Beaten at Lonchamp Track After Winning 7 7 Straight as Juvenile By R. D. GRAINGER , Our Pons-Correspondent PARIS.— Sensation at Longchamp last week end was the first defeat of Francois Dupres flying filly Texana who won 11 straight as a juvenile. In the ,000 Prix Grotte, over a turning mile,_"percentage punters" eagerly laid l-to-5 on Texana to succeed first time out this term over a firs* -ever trip beyond 5 furlongs. But to the . dire dire d dismay i s ma y of of the the* » — — — — I i dire dire d dismay i s ma y of of the the* plungers Texana finished fourth of five to Madame Del Ducas Reluisante who proved a length superior to Prince Aly Khans Yla. The winner Relui-. sante, a half sister to Texana, being by Relic, out of Combinaison, was rated 21 pounds below Texana last December cember and and Yla Yla was was cember and and Yla Yla was was also set to receive 16. Reluisante had the benefit of a previous race. She was beaten a neck by But Lovely but the latters sta-blemate Yla was making her re-entry. It was a very indifferent start. Texana, ridden by her new pilot, Serge Boullenger, was caught broadside-on when the tapes rose and lost six lengths. After 2 furlongs she was, however, five in front only to gradually lose her advantage at the sixth- marker. Boullenger came in for some adverse criticism with which we disagree. In our view, Texana simply failed to stay. Plans for her attempt to lift the French Guineas will surely be revised by her astute owner and trainer F. Mathet. The chestnut daughter of Relic — Tosca has been entered over 5 furlongs at Royal Ascot next month. The Kings Stand Stakes could provide compensation. " AAA The 8,000 Prix Jean Prat was divided. I the senior division six Ascot and French Gold Cup candidates were among the 10 starters over 15J,2 furlongs. All the sextet lacked peak-fitness on paddock parade and all were soundly beaten by . the consistent Vacarme, a 5-to-2 favorite, and, the Bous-sac four-year-old filly Messenia. Now in receipt of 11 pounds Vacarme, a four-year-old son of Vandale, out of Haji-bibi, showed commendable consistency last year. In eight starts- he first won three straight and then followed with a sequence of four seconds. Prior to this Longchamp* victory he scored at St. Cloud three weeks back. Messenia, who looked a possible winner until the distance ran out, ran an excellent race. She should win soon. But at present we are more interested in the progressive Scot who last suffered a most vexatious defeat in Rome last November. This neatly-molded son of Souverain needed the race and whatever wins the French Gold Cup Prix Cadran next week has Madame Del Ducas colt to beat. Scot will also prove a formidable rival to the best for the Ascot equivalent next month. In the three-year-old division of the Jean Pratr over 10 furlongs, we witnessed an extraordinary race. The 22-to-l rank outsider of the six runners, Madame A. Daubins Launay, a bay son of. Caldarium — Isaure, got a flying start, set up a lead of 15 lengths, but only won a camera "nose" from Currito who headed Launay near the wire. However, under Jean Massards persuasion the game Launay came again in the final stride to earn the ,000 purse. A A A Two feature, races at picturesque Le Tremblay were decided in heavy rain. The emerald stretch was soon turned into a morass. However, this did not prevent the crack three-year-old La Malivoye cantering home by five lengths in the ,000 Prix Chloe, for fillies over a mile. Maurice Hannessy s all-quality daughter of Si-cambre", out of La Mirambule, trained by Willie Head, showed her four opponents no mercy from half-way. M. Boussac ran two, and it was the unconsidered pacemaker Azara who was runner-up with her "more fancied stablemate Pharstella unable to act in the mud. La Malivoye has a favorites chance of taking the fillies Guineas Poule-dEssai, her next race, on May .18. Before the all-colts ,000 Prix Daphnis, one mile, another terrific cascade made conditions extremely dismal. Only four lined up and the odds-on Pres du Feu com-fortably~1ieat Love Boy by nearly three lengths. The latter having only the second race of his career found the going entirely unsuitable to his light action and, we think, his classic prospects can be better reviewed after his trip in the. Prix Hoc-quart next week. Pres du Feu, a chestnut son of Prince Bio, out of Proximites, is very smart. He has won three straight this season. Idea of the fetlock-deep going can be gauged by his time of 1:57.20 — almost five seconds more than La Malivoye at 1:52.40. AAA Especially interested in La Malivoye were the tireless travelers Mr. and Mrs. Howell E. Jackson. Just a few hours before departing for London last Saturday they braved the atrocious elements to see La Malivoye because earlier this year they acquired her dam. La Mirambule. Mr. Jackson confided hismare how had a foal by Zuccero and during his European trip he had been busy in the French bloodstock market. Recently he had purchased two choicely bred colt foals. One by Ribot. out of Statira dam of French 1957 Guineas winner Tyrone, from Madame Jean Cou-turie and one by Silnet, out of ihe former brilliant Tahiti, from Paul Duboscq. We understand from the American Jockey Club member that it is the intention of he and Mrs. Jackson to race a small string in France next year. The two shrewd buys mentioned will be, augmented by a colt sired by dual classic winner Never Say Die, out of Gloria Nicky, top of her two-year-old generation in Britain, plus a colt by Ambiorix. The Jackson" team will carry the same American silks and are to be trained by Etienne Pollet who now has charge of, Mrs. P. A. B. Wideners horses. Mrs. Jackson, who is to be the registered owner, told us that she has a great affection for France. She blushed with modesty like a young schoolgirl when we asked her about being honored by the French government with the Legion dHonneur for an exploit at Dunkirk in 1940, and was surprised at our congratulations. Mrs. Jackson said she thought it a well-kept secret! And now you all know!
