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■ .!■ Ireland Classic Field Bows To Sovereign Path By MICHAEL OHEHIR Our Dublin Correspondent DUBLIN. — As so often happens with races that are called classic trials last weeks Fetrarch Stakes at The Curragh Irish racing headquarters, was won by a horse without classic engagements from a group of horses with the cares of classic participation on their furrowed brows. Giant killer on this occasion was Sovereign Path who got through a furlong and a half out to pass and then hold the strongly ridden and challenging Ross Sea, owned by C. M. Kline. Guide to victory on this winning son of Grey Sovereign was the inimitable cheeky Charlie Smirke who burst through an unsuspecting Gang Warily and Pam-parctic and on the winners circle. While there was great merit in the win, it was not easily achieved for Ross Sea, ridden by T. P. Burns and the outsider of the two runners from Vincent OBriens stable. Gang Warily G. Bougoure, was the, other stuck to him in the last furlong and was staying on. The race was just too short for Ross Sea. who despite this defeat must still be seriously considered an Irish Derby prospect. The winner, who is trained by Cecil Brabazon, was a proven two-year-old in Ireland and England and this win shows that he has retained or perhaps even improved his form over the winter. He holds several engagements at Royal Ascot and over six or seven furlongs he is a horse to be reckoned with. He would go an easy mile probably also, but The Curragh is a stiff course and in the prevailing holding going, it must seem even longer to any horse with stamina limitations no matter what his speed. Of considerable interest here -vas the debut of Babu the horse whose owner has a permanently negative approach to sale. But even after his running, we are left wondering as to his ability in his second I season. He was well back early on and ran on at the end to be fourth about ten lengths off the winner. On the face of it, this is not wonderful form but one must remember that this was his first trip in public this year — the winner had previously run in England — and also he had suffered from a setback temperature which kept him box-bound for a week. Net altogether satisfying but still open to considerable improvement is our verdict on this running and we are more than prepared to see a big improvement by Guineas day at The Curragh in the middle of this month. The fillies semi-classic, the Athasi Stakes was won by Pastime Penny, a very surprising filly indeed. Even her closest friend would not be daring enough to flatter her with the description of "good looking — in fact, she is a far from attractive looker — but boy, how she runs. T" !s was her second outing this season and she has won twice. First time out at Baldyole she strolled away with a maiden race but nobody took it very seriously as the opposition was moderate and we looked upon it as just an early season shock. How wrong we were was proved in the Athasi Stakes when this daughter of Fun Fair and Penny on the Jack made the others look silly by running away from them in the last half furlong and winning by two lengths from John McShains Truly and the Sassoon filly Princess Marie. A furlong from home it seemed that Truly was sure to win, so smoothly and effortlessly was the daughter of Tulyar moving, that the remainder of the race seemed a formality but Nick Brennan got the run on her with Pastime Penny and she took over and won quicker than it takes to describe it. Truly will be all the better for this run, her second ever, the other outing being in an apprentice two-year-old race last fall when she won. She is in our 1,000 Guineas and will make a bold effort in it too although such as Muscosa a good looking daughter of Bally mosss sire Mossborough ran well after making the running in the 7 -furlong Athasi and was relagated to fifth place through lack of finishing speed but not lack of stamina. One of the most impressive efforts at Continued on Page Fourteen I I Report From Ireland By MICHAEL OHEHIR Continued from Page Eleven , this Curragh meeting was by Miss Eleanora | Sears versatile Alastair in the 6 furlongs, 63 yards sprint. Carrying no less than 136 | pounds, he came from behind in the hold- ! ing ground to catch and beat Final Word if 113 pounds in very attractive style.: I Alastair who is by Preciptic — X Ray. the ! same female line as Khaled. has been j hurdling for fitness sake and showed that it has done him plenty of good for he battled with resolution to win here and his presence in cross-channel races will be noted with more than casual interest in the future. i
