38 THE TURF 



Halnaker. There are rich stakes at Sandown, Kemp- 

 ton and elsewhere which attract excellent fields, but 

 the programmes here are somewhat mutable, and 

 these races have not yet existed long enough to gain 

 prestige by their association with many famous names. 

 The most valuable two-year-old race now is the 

 National Breeders' Produce Stakes, run at Sandown 

 the day after the Eclipse, and worth well over ^4,000 ; 

 but the Portland Plate at Leicester, won by Donovan 

 in 1888, amounted to ^6,000. As to the importance 

 of the Champagne Stakes (1823) at Doncaster there 

 can be no question. Occasionally it falls to a moderate 

 horse — Ayah, Solaro and Grandison are poor examples 

 of Champagne winners — but of late years one finds 

 the names of Velasquez, Ladas, La Fleche, Riviera, 

 Chittabob (one of three horses that — with an advan- 

 tage of 13 lbs. in weights — beat Donovan), Ayrshire, 

 Minting ; and further back many others of note. 



There had for a long time been urgent necessity for 

 a good two-year-old race late in the year, a contest 

 that would attract the best horses and really show the 

 capacity of the principal two-year-olds, and such a 

 prize was founded at the suggestion of Mr. Blenkiron 

 in 1870. This gentleman was a breeder of thorough- 

 bred stock at the Middle Park Stud, and the race was 

 named accordingly, he having subscribed ^^500 towards 

 the stake. At once it became established as the chief 

 two-year-old event of the season. An average of 

 exactly fourteen starters has gone to the post, and the 



