The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-22
.BRITONS FEAR THE
 AMERICAN RACER
Handicappers Will Give Entries
 Plenty of Weight
BALLOT SHOWS UP WELL
Colin and Ballot Are Considered the Best American Horses In England, But Colin Has Had Trouble
 With His Legs.
By RICHARD DAHLeREN.


 Special Cable to The Hearst News Serv-
 ice.
 London, February a.-'The American in- yasion of the British turf is viewed with more or less alarm in various turf quar- ters and the fear Is not infrequently ex- pressed that a goodly share of the turf classics will go to the American horses.
 One thing is sure-the official handi- cappers are taking no chances with the Americans, and are giving them all the weight to carry that their rules will al- low.
 In speaking about the weights allotted to the American horses the Express says:
 Tn the case of one or two of the American horses engaged in the spring handicaps, they have undoubtedly been given a lot of weight because they are unknown quantities in this country. A. J. Joyner, the American trainer, who IS now installed at Ballaton Lodge, New market, where he has charge of many of August Belmont's and H. P. Whitney's horses, may not be surprised that Pris- Gillian is given top weight at Lincoln, for he recently remarked in connection with
 
 them to be handicapped to win, as they must actually suffer. through not having run in this country
 "Delirium has been let in we'll with s st. lbs, compared with the other four-year- odds st. lbs. In Priscillian MT. Belmont has a first-class colt, for he was not beaten as a -year-old. De- lirium's credentials are not quite so en- couraging, but the American book makes him out as distinctly useful.
 'The majority of MT. Belmonts horses are with John Watson at Palace House, but Joyner did such good work for his patrons in the states last year-he won over 91S,OO0 for MT. Whitney and over s15,O00 for MT. Belmont-that he Is nat urally given a chance to see what he can do in this country.
 ''Priscillan and Delirium are also in the City and Suburban, in which J. R. Keene's five-year-old Ballot receives the top weight of st. 5 lbs Ballot is built on lines to carry big weights, and he did not experience defeat last year. It was not. though, through lack of handicap ping, for he carried top weight on nearly every occasion he proved successful
 Fair Play II. is. like Ballot. Colin and Priscillan, in the Jubilee. Collins record is the most impressive of the lot, for he has never been defeated, and has won e3600O for J. R. Keene It Is doubtful, however, whether he will stand training, as trouble has been experienced with his legs which kept him from racing during the last four months of the American season.
 Many American authorities put Colin and Ballot down as the best of horses sent to England, although MT. Keene possesses a fine colt in Celt and an ex- cellent Ally in Maskette. neither of whom has been sent to this country. After Colin and Ballot, Fair Play II. has claims to preference over Priscillian, who did not meet his present stable companion as a three-year-o
 The Mirror says:
 From a purely practical point of view the honor of being awarded top weight with ones horses in handicaps is not eagerly sought after by owners. The American sportsmen concerned in Pris- Gillian, Ballot, Dinna Ken IL, and Colin are of the right sort. We have had many years experience of such men as August
 
 name Whitney is also honored in Eng land.
 There is not the slightest doubt that the thoroughbreds above mentioned are remarkably good racers-most probably far ahead of our present troop of the best-class handicappers. Sam Darling, in whose charge Ballot and Colin are at ths famous Beckhampton stable, may be re- lied upon to place these horses satis- factorily. The task confronting him at the offset looks hard. He knows what to expect from our official weight assessors. But the material is there, as the Amer ican records of Ballot and Colin show"
 The recent international rugby match between the English and French teams was a revelation as to the progress made by French athletes in this typically Eng fish game. England won decisively, but the Frenchmen played surprisingly well and showed wonderful progress in the game.
 Cambridge and Oxford are practicing hard for the inter university race. The crews have been pretty well decided upon, although it is still possible that changes will be made in the boats. Oxford Is making desperate efforts to turn out winning crew so as to stop Cambridges winning streak. Hugh D. Mcintosh, who conducted the Johnson-Burns fight, has sailed for New York, which means that within a week Americans will get moving picture view of the Johnson-Burns fight. MT, Mcintosh says that Burns will fol- low Johnson to America and demand return match with the negro. Burns will ] be in London for the Johnson-Langford fight and will challenge the winner The Australian promoter says that the 1 feeling between Johnson and Burns was so bitter on the day they crossed mits that he had to go to Johnson's corner and restrain him from punching the Ca | nadian before time was called.
 Mcintosh wants to stage the proposed Jeffries-Johnson fight, but says that he won't give a purse a cent larger than 1 $5o,0O0.
 Burns is under a ten-year contract to