THE SPORTING LIFE, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1947 



PRETTY POLLY 



Steps In Career 



Of An Amazing Filly 



^ 



TOOK HONOURS EVEN IN DEFEAT 



WITH the Arctic conditions 

 prevailing throughout the 

 country, there is little to occupy 

 the time and mind of the ardent 

 racegoer However, the study of 

 Turf history never palls, and now 

 is a good time to recall the great 

 ones of the past. 



In 1902 Major Eustace Loder 

 bred a filly by Gallinule out of 

 Admiration and named her Pretty 

 Polly^ 



The chief characteristics of this 

 foal were particularly good shoul- 

 ders, ample heart room, and Im- 

 mense power behind the saddle. 

 Prom her earliest days Pretty 

 Polly bore a marked personality. 

 and soon became a favourite 

 amongst those responsible for 

 breaking her in and her early 

 schooling. 



LOVEABLE FILLY 



The filly possessed such endear- 

 ing quahties that she occupied a 

 place in the affections of all, in 

 the same way that Brown Jack 

 did in later years. 



Pretty Pollys first appearance 

 in public gave some indication of 

 her future greatness, for she won 

 the British Dominion T.Y.O. Plate 

 at Sandown Park with the great- 

 est of ease In a field ol 10 runners. 



After two furlongs Pretty Polly 

 had such a commanding lead tha"t 

 the public thought there had been 

 a talse start, and the further they 

 went the greater became her lead 

 She won in a canter from Vergia 

 with John o Gaunt third 



It i.s true that Sir George 

 Thursby eased John o' Gaimt at 

 the end of the race, but not until 

 he realised the position was hope- 

 less, and he was unable to issue a 

 challenge to the speedy filly. 



EIGHT VICTORIES 



John o' Gaunt was third in the 

 Derby of the following year. anU 

 later sired the great SwjTiford 



As a two-year-old Pretty Polly 

 never tasted defeat, winning eight 

 races and never being extended. 

 She won the National Breeders 

 Produce Stakes m a canter; the 

 Mersey Stakes at Livei-pool by U 

 lengths: the Champagne Stakes 

 in a canter, with St. Amant. the 

 following year's Derby winner 

 only third 3S lengths behind; the 

 Manchester Autumn Breeders' 

 Foal StaKes in a canter; the 

 Cheveley Park Stakes in a oanter: 

 the Middle Park Plate with the 

 greatest ease, with St. Amant 3 

 lengths behind her; the Criterion 

 Stakes by IJ lengths, and finally 

 the Moulton Stakes by 2 lengths. 



At two years Pretty Polly was 

 burly in appearance, and some 

 doubts were cast as to whether 

 she would train on and fulfil her 

 early promise. 



RECORD TIME 



In the April of her three-year- 

 old career she made her first 

 appearance in the One Thousand 

 Guiiieas, and it was apparent that 

 she had filled out and made 

 general improvement. 



The race was never In doubt. 

 She made hacks of her opponents, 

 winning by three lengths in the 

 then record time of Imin. 40sec. 



The reputation of this magnifi- 

 cent filly had grown to such 

 heights that the field for the OaHs 

 cut up badly and only three other 

 fillies opposed her. Their courage 

 and. indeed, their presumption 

 was to be admired, but none of 

 them could make any Impression 

 on Pretty Polly, and she cantered 

 home three lengths in front of her 

 nearest rival, amid great jubila- 

 tion from her Immense public who 

 had turned up in their thousands 

 to applaud her victory. The Coro- 

 nation Stakes at Ascot did not 

 trouble her. and she won In a can- 

 ter by three lengths. 



The season arew on to Good- 

 wood, and Pretty Polly was 

 entered for the Nassau Stakes. 

 where she enhanced her reputa- 

 tion by winning this race by five 

 lengths. 



In the St. Leger, it was argued 

 that one of the colts might lower 

 her colours, but the story of the 

 race need only be brief. Pretty 

 Polly won in a canter by three 

 lengths. 



After the St. Leger of 1902 that 

 other great filly Sceptre tried to 

 win the Park Hill Stakes, and. 

 where Sceptre failed. Pretty Polly 

 succeeded, for she was never ex- 

 tended and won by three lengths. 



Up to this time Pretty Polly had 

 never been beaten, and. further, 

 had never met an opponent cap- 

 able of forcing her out of a canter. 

 She had become the idol of the 

 public, and was considered the 

 greatest mare ever to have graced 

 the Turl. 



