1935

ANOTHER Derby has gone to another Irish colt. The Aga Khan’s Bahram, bred in Kildare, was a giant in the field he met on Wednesday, and he swept through in the straight to win without being challenged from Robin Goodfellow and Field Trial. Thus, he remains unbeaten. It may be that he will never be beaten.

The present intention is to run him in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot, and then put him aside for the St Leger. I should imagine that, if he wins at Doncaster, Bahram will be retired. The last time an unbeaten horse won the Derby was 1893, the year of Isinglass. I see a disposition already to rank Bahram with Isinglass and Ormonde. Perhaps he is as good, but I will say this; that he beat a wretchedly poor Derby field this week.

Outstanding as his chance was, Bahram was quite easy to back at 5/4 at the off, and in the Totalisator he returned at the amazing odds of 2/1; the public, I suppose, imagining that he would be at long odds on.

Bahram was the fourth winner of the Derby that Blandford has sired in the space of seven years, a record that has not been excelled. His dam is a Friar Marcus mare, Friar’s Daughter, and as a yearling she only cost His Highness 250 guineas.

Among others, as well as Bahram, she has bred that good, if a little unlucky, colt Dastur who won the Irish Derby, but was fated to be second in the English classic. Where he just failed Bahram has stepped in, and given Frank Butters his first winner of the Derby, and his owner his first homebred winner, for he bought Blenheim at the Newmarket sales.