Advt.
1. The most interesting two-year-old in the Free Handicap isn't mentioned in it. And, of course, it is Irish-trained. J. M. Rogers thinks Santa Claus is the best horse he has trained since Hard Ridden, which won the Epsom Derby in 1958, and Paddy Prendergast has called him 'the fastest two-year-old in Europe.' The evi- dence is convincing. . . . It makes him, at six to one, the hottest winter favourite to win the Derby since Dante. And Dante did win the Derby. But I'm not tipping Santa Claus yet. I tipped Leicester City to win the Cup last year, and they only came second.—Iain Macleod, Spectator, December 6, 1963.
2. In the first 'Spectator's Notebook' that I con- tributed I drew attention to the claims of Santa Claus, the Irish-trained son of Chamossaire, as a winter favourite for the Derby to be run on June 3. Then you could have got six to one. More recently he was quoted at eights. After last Saturday's superb display in the Irish 2,000 Guineas he looks like starting the shortest-priced favourite for the Derby since Crepello won in 1957 at six to four. We know Santa Claus has blinding speed. His pedigree should guarantee that he stays for a mile and a half at least. With reasonable luck in the running, and no horse wins the Epsom Derby without that, he should win.—Quoodle, Spectator, May 22, 1964.
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