New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-08-28
FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST %, 1857.
The Race for the GoodwoOd Cup.
GIILpATHICKrs OWN STATEMENT.

NEW YoRE August II, 1857
To ne Editor ot Porer's Spirit of he Times:
MY DEAR SIR: AS am met here by a great de-
sire to know the particulars of the Goodwood Cup
Race and find there is an inclination evlnced by
some parties to censure me therein, shall beg the
favor of your columns, as general and final answer
to them all.
left New York June 20, engaged by Mr.. Ten
Brock to ride either one or the other of bis horses IN
the Goodwood Cup. | arrived at Southampton on
the 30th of June, and Immediately departed for our
training stable at Stockbrdge, which I reached the
following day. | saw the horses Pryor and Pryoress.
The former had just recovered from lung fever
and had been galloped, Mr.. Palmer told me, if
recoect right, but three times previous to my arri
val Pryoress had also been aing, but seemed in
better condition than Pryor. who, though he looked
pretty to the eye of an ordinary spectator,
was in no racing trim whatever. | Immediately set
to work exercising Pryor, whom found incapable of
extending himself in fact, the horse seemed tedup,
which facts | forthwith communicated to Mr. Ten
Brock he did not seem to listen to my comments,
and made me no satisfactory reply. Matters re.
mained in this state until about the 10th Of July,
when our first trial took place the distance
mile and half. l rode Pryoress alone for the first
half mile, when Pryor, ridden by Littlefeld, joined
in-he beat the mare to the stand, she tirng badly
and showing signs Of leg weariness. Things went on
in this same way up to the next trial, which took
place on the 25th of July, over the same track. l
again rode the mare the trial was two miles Pryor
running the entire distance, and Pryoess joining in
| for the last mile and half The mare beat Pryor
about two lengths in this trial but exhibited the
symptoms OF leg wearness as on the previous oc.
casiOn.
On the following Saturday we left for Goodwood
Mr. Ten Brock stopped with the horses; there was
much talk among ourselves about the prospects of the
horses but nothing transpred of interest to the pub
| lie. On Monday morning we commenced gallOplne
on the Goodwood course, which gallops we repeated
every morning until that of the Mr.. Ten Broecl
walked round the Cup course with us, and some con
versation took place to the best ground for Il
run on, especially the mare as she was such a Ions
strder that we wanted to obtain the smoothest pos
| sible place for her to on.
Mr. Ten Brock pointed ont to me those portions @
the track he thought best suited to the mare, tn
smoothest and most free from unduations, whic
might throw her out of her stride, and accordingly
on the day of the race /, in obedience to his direC
tions, swung out of the beaten path followed by th
other horses in order to obtain ground more sutabl
to the mares peculiarity of stride.
Onthe morning Of The race my orders rere I
make slo,o, or ,rhat English jocies call ga rati
race of further, not to take the lead, force tn
running, if could helpit, with Pryoress
The start took place. we all went at bad pac
for the first half mile; Pryoress, unlike ordinar
horses, when put to gallop, from her length {
stride cannot go slow, and the pace was so bad wit
the Others that in spite of myself was forced to tax
the lead, which maintained to the second turn &c
ing out, up to which time had kept the inside
the track, the others taking the outside. I the
gradually bent across the track as had been agree
upon, which brought little outside of the other
who retained their original position We ran in th
way, at bad pace to the top of the hill: when W
arrived here the mare appeared to be very fresh an
thought would make good run home. The pac
now began to increase. I kept with them to the tur
into the straight n when still greater improv
ment in speed took place. At the half distance the
began to quit me, and when within a hundred an
fifty yards of the stand, found the mare give wa,
and in few strides more she was "gone all
pieces which imagine everybody present perceive
Here an end of the race--the mare being physi
ally incapable, from want of condition, of doing an
better. As to Pryor, with neither speed nor bottom
he had not the ghost of chance in any part of tt
race.
Nothing was said to me by Mr.. Ten Brock or al
other person connected with the stable after the
was over; but learned that while we were runnir
Mr.. Morris observed (when he saw me leading, as
forced to do for short time) that was disobe
ing orders in taking the lead, and that he would
tie up with me in the morning and send me HON
! Nothing was said to me then. but my mind was pr
viously made up to come home anyhow whether
won or lost. Next morning Mr.. Ten Brock Sc
Pryor and Pryoress back to the training stable
Stockbrdge. After they had gone, he said to m
''Why, thought you had gone with the horses!'
replied ''No, wish to go home,'' on which he I
marked he thought perhaps it was best, as the hors
run them again this fall. He then settled up wi
me and left England, and here am.
l have been accused of losing ground in the rae
If did So it was in compliance with Mr. Ten BroecE
W
taken to suit the mare, and whatever ground I mi
have lost in this way, more than made up subs
quently The simple fact is, the horses were wo
out with long and useless kind of work. Duril
nearly twelve-month previously, they had nec
/, euen had s,ceat $50 the boys told mel from I
5 time they landed, until arTiued in England. tt
5 consequences may be imagined-namely, want of
condition. and absolute need of rest-they were fl
e of tat-burnt up inside-leg weary-and had no
tality in them.
In conclusion, have hesitation in asserting th
had our horses been properly taken care of from t
. commencement-carefully trained and brought to t
post in anything like the condition we have seen the
exhibit at home-that either of them could and wou
have won the Goodwood Cup easily.
> At the time Of my leaving there was no probabili
of either of the horses-Pryor, Pryoress, or Lecom
running at Brighton Lewes. Indeed, l think
d doubtful if the American horses will appear aga
prior to the four mile race over the Beacon Course,
The Newmarket Houghton meeting in October.
| make the foregoing statement in justice to n
!, self, and in order to be freed from the blame viii
/ has unjustly been cast upon have faults enou
e of my own, without being burdened with those
n other people, Had had my own way, l would ha
ID returned Immediately after seeing the horses !; as
was | stopped, and did the best could under
most adverse circumstances. Hence, do not chol
to incur the odum merited by others.
Yours respectfully GILLPATRICK