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Italy Dearth of Classic Competition Noted By DESMOND McGOWAN Our Rome Correspondent ROME. — Although the Premio Ambrosi-ano run over 10 furlongs at San Siro has lost a lot of its former importance, it still presents the opportunity for the three-year-olds to meet the older horses and thus give some idea of how one generation compares with another. Such top class horses as El Greco, Bellini, Traghetto, Nuccio and Alberigo have won it in the past and with this years three-year-olds being such a me diocre bunch, the Razza Dormello-Olgiatas four - year - old Malhoa was backed as though defeat was out of the question even though he was giving seven pounds more than weight-for-age to all but one of his five younger opponents. We confess the result was disappointing and it is now as plain as the nose on our face that both generations are a shocking lot and that the only valid representative is the Razza Ticinos Sedan who is at least consistent even though he would not have stood the slightest chance against such as Ribot, Braque, Botticelli, etc. Malhoa was beaten a short head by Dr. Vittadinis imported three-year-old colt Exar with Ettore Tagliabues unfortunate Hes dOr eight lengths back in third place. We fear that Enrico Camici,. fine rider though he is, must take some blame for Malhoas defeat and we dont know why he allowed Exar to take such a lead when the field came into the stretch. Exar is a front-runner and he must have been a good eight lengths ahead with a couple of furlongs to cover and Camici had to rid himself of the attentions of Hes dOr before he could start to make his run. lies dOr was under the whip and swerved and it looked as if the two horses touched. Once Camici had Malhoa balanced again, the four-year-old put his head down and literally flew after Exar but the effort, was too late and the son of Arctic Prince was just able to hang on and get his nose over the line first. This result makes the form book look like a comic paper and if it could be depended on, the Derby, which is to be run before these notes are published, should turn out to be a match,between the Man-tova Stables Rio Marin and the Razza del Soldos Mileto. In the Premio San Gottardo, Rio Marin gave Exar a four lengths beating plus five pounds while in the Premio Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, Mileto beat Exar at even weights by 13 lengths. Malhoa has met Sedan twice this year and on both occasions he was beaten by one and one-half lengths. Strictly on the book, this indicates that both„Rio Marin and Mileto should beat Sedan out of sight and that Mileto Is in the world-beater class. The opium dreams are soon dispelled when one remembers that Mileto was only five lengths in front of The Shah and that the latter was a very modest two-year-old in England last year. We mentioned earlier on "the unfortunate lies dOr." This was not intended to refer to bad luck in running but to the amount of punishment the poor colt had to take. We saw the race on television and we are not sure who the • jockey was but it doesnt matter anyway because from past experience, any jockey who rides the Tagliabue horses appears to be given full license to use the whip as much as he wants. Biggest offender is slashing Armando Marchetti and another we saw is young apprentice A. Di Nardo but the men to blame are trainer Pericle Mercuri and owner Tagliabue and if we had our way the whole bunch would be up in front of the Jockey Club for a good ticking off. Biggest shock of the week was the defeat of the Aterno Stables Cesaproba in the. Premio Minerva run on heavy going at the Capannelle over 11 furlongs. The 1,000 Guineas winner was leading below the distance until Count Neni Da Zaras Altovia came on the outside with a terrific run to win going away by three lengths. Both fillies are to be sent to Milan and Altovia is to take on Bramantina and Co. in the Oaks while Cesaproba is to go for the Gran Premio dltalia,. Both are good fillies and we wish thein the best of luck in their Milan venture.
