Juliette's Weekly Frolic
Helped along by Kensington's museum mecca and what's left of the Crystal 'Palace, Queen Victoria's great flag-waving Exhibition of 1851 has borne its years remarkably well, while, by contrast, its centenary celebration, the Festival of Britain, has all too quickly slipped the public memory. Slightly strange, when you consider that the latter left behind an equally colourful string of objets d'art varying from the Festival Hall and Battersea Funfair to a horse race.
With racing in post-war Britain suffering at the hands of the ever-opulent French, it was only right and proper for a 'backing Britain' Festival to institute an event aimed at winning back some long lost international prestige. Christened, naturally enough, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Festival of Britain Stakes, but dropping the ' Festival ' bit the following year, the race automatically took its place at the forefront of the international scene and in 1956 proved bait enough to lure the all-conquering Ribot on his only visit to these shores. In 1969 the field boasted its first Japanese runner and the Levy Board upped the added money to £40,000, but with the Arc de Triomphe racing relentlessly on up the prize spiral, what appeared a sizeable nest-egg by British standards was peanuts to the continentals. Now, as everyone knows, De Beers Consolidated Mines have stepped in with an impeccably timed rescue operation raising the groups are exerting a powerful influence in spreading the acceptance of slanted investigations and political pre-judgment in connection with the bankruptcy of Mr John Poulson, the Yorkshire architect, and his contacts with Mr Maudling, the Home Secretary. The word muck-raking has been used. The definition of the term's political originator, Theodore Roosevelt, is revealing: The men with muck-rakes are often indispensable to the well-being of society but only if they know when to stop raking the muck and to look upward to the celestial vision above them, to the crown of worthy endeavour. There are beautiful things above and around them, and if they gradually grow to feel that the whole world is nothing but muck their power of usefulness is gone.
Lack of objectivity and inaccurate criticism is not unique to our times. Mr Maudling has devoted a life-time of worthy endeavour to the Conservative Party and the country and it is indeed tragic that the vicious attacks of those who have their own reasons to rebuke and reproach him have now forced him into resignation with the consequent weakening of the party to which he belongs and which he has served.
The public disclosure of the shareholdings and interests of Members of Parliament is overdue. By bringing this information into the open Mr Maudling would be the last to have anything to fear, though there are men on both sides of the House who will be found to be fatter cats now than they were when they entered public service.
prize money to an all-time record for this country.
The absence of the last two Derby winners has in no way diminished the excitement of the race itself, for the prospect of Brigadier Gerard battling with an unknown distance, is provoking as much controversy as his ntended tussle with Mill Reef. No one in their right mind — the French and Italians excepted — will wish to see the Brigadier beaten, but if you can't bear to let the race slip by without a bet, there are plenty of feasible alternatives. Steel Pulse will seek to follow Meadow Court and Ragusa in becoming the third Epsom failure / Curragh hero to clinch the prize; while with the Piggott seal of approval, Italian champion, Gay Lussac, finds himself hailed another Ribot. He is, of course, undefeated, but then so too, this year, are Riverman and Selhurst. Homeric's recent Longchamp victory nicely polished off the latter's credentials, but sharply reduced his price, and value for money seems best served by the only other course and distance winner in the line-up, , Parnell. It is said that his recent long distance victories in France will have blunted his speed, but a horse that carried 9st 13Ib to an eight length victory here on Grand National day, must be worth an each-way chance at 14-1.
Two races earlier Crowned Prince's sister, Our Queen, will be out further to redeem the family reputation in the Princess Margaret Stakes. While her Newmarket win looked very good, Bridle Princess looked even better at Lingfield last Saturday and Contenda who finished three lengths behind the winner at Newmarket was twice as far away then. As for the marathon Brown Jack Stakes, last year's hero, Carnoch, has been tailed off in both his races this season, and Tartar Prince could be successful.
Assets: £106.50 Outlay: £3 to win Bridle Princess and Tartar Prince, £2ew Parnell,
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