Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Thursday 26 March 1942, page 32


Outstanding Derby Chance.

J£ÏNG GEORGE'S, horse, Big

Game, may win the forthcoming i Derby to be run on June 13, making 1942 the most notable in 30 years of turf history. Minoru, carrying the colours of King Edward VII, won the Derby 33 years ago, and there has never been another Royal triumph in the world's greatest race. King George V throughout his 26 years' reign failed to achieve one of his dearest ambitions to . lead in the winner of the Derby. His only classic success was with the filly .Scuttle in the One Thousand Guineas of 1928.

It now happens in the middle of the greatest war the world has ever seen that his son, King George VI, has an excellent chance of not only winning the Derby with Big Game, but also the Oaks, with his filly, Sun Chariot.

It is not likely that the King and the Queen will be present to see Big Game and Sun Chariot race. They made a rule at the beginning of the war not to go to the races for the duration.

The King, although hitherto not greatly interested in horse racing, leased two beautifully bred two-yearolds from the National Stud in Ire-land last spring, and these two, known as Big Game and Sun Chariot, have developed into bril-liant young racehorses. They are considered the best of their age.

Both Big Game and Sun Chariot are unbeaten. Big Game won five races in succession, and Sun Chariot four. Each has a Derby winner as sire, Big Game being by the 1935 Derby winner, Bahram, out of that brilliant sprinting filly, Myrobella, which Lord Lonsdale leased from the National Stud.

Big Game won all his five races in the easiest style, with the excep-tion of one at Newbury last June, when Lord Derby's colt. Watling Street ran him to a short head over six furlongs.

Whether Big Game will prove as good a stayer as Sun Chariot over the Derby distance of 1¿ miles re-mains to be seen. Some judges con-sider Sun Chariot will develop greater stamina. She won her races in the smoothest possible style, and is certainly bred to stay, being by

the 1933 Derby winner, Hyperion,

out of Clarence.

Both Big Game and Sun Chariot wintered well at Fred Darling's Beckhampton stables, where seven Derby winners have been trained in the last 20 years. Both Will be rid-den this season by Gordon Rich-ards, who has happily recovered from his serious accident of last year.

Richards, despite the fact that he has been the champion jockey for 16 years, has yet to ride a Derby winner. It will be interesting to see which of the Royal candidates Richards selects as his mount in the classic. Sun Chariot is the pre-sent Derby favourite at 4 to 1, Big Game being quoted at 6 to 1. The ? two won more than £8,000 in stakes

last year. Their most dangerous rival in the Derby may be Lord Derby's Watling Street. Lord Rose-bery's Byperides, Mr. Bezner's Canvonere, the Aga Khan's two fillies, Sonibai and Mar Iran, and Lord Glanely's filly, Feberion.

The new fiat race fixtures tor the coming season have been announced. They do not provide for any meet-ings at London racecourses, and there are only two meetings at Windsor throughout the season. This is the nearest course for Lon-doners to attend compared with at least one meeting daily in the vicin-ity of London in peacetime.