London, Mar. 25.
War-time racing on the flat is going to boom if first day crowds and elds are to be taken as a criterion. It must have been nearly a record atendance at Hurt Park. Birmingham too, had a splendid crowd, and it was the same story at Manchester and all the "little" jumping meetings. First winner came from the royal stable when D. Marks scored on M. de St. Alary's Samory. Samory's victory was a typical first day surprise. So was the defeat of V. Smyth's supposed certainly Kentucky but the other winners were all well backed.
Finis was a most appropriate winner when he won the Final Plate at Newmarket. He could hardly have been out of that category when he came up in the chief race on the first day. Fulano was not disgraced, and another to which I shall be giving a further chance is Rue de la Paix, who was not so smartly off as these who beat him in the sprint.
Biggest surprise of the day was the defeat of Roman Hackle at Manchester. Miss Paget's unpenalized Gold Cup winner looked a "good thing" yet the best he could do was fish third long way behind Bachelor's Folly I and Rightun. Miss Paget received some consolation for Roman Hackle's defeat by winning with SoMord. San Marine also scored for her at Bir-bingham, where Arthur Wragg made a popular "come-back" victory on Hendaye.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.