FRED ARCHER'S RIVAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 4, 6 January 1936, Page 4

FRED ARCHER'S RIVAL

STILL ALIVE AND WELL

Charles Wood, one of F. Archer's great rivals, is still alive and well m England at 81 years of age. He and fiis wife celebrated their diamond wedding last month. Recently he was interviewed by a representative of the London "Evening Standard," and his story, as was to be expected, was most interesting. "I was runner-up to Fred Archer for the jockey championship seven times," said Wood, "and headed the list, I think, in 1877. Poor Fred! Unlike me, he had to waste hard, and it ruined his health. I could always ride at 7.10 without any trouble. "I remember on one occasion Fred's valet came to me and said, 'Mr. Wood, you know Mr. Archer is ill, and he is worrying himself to death that you will beat him, and he cannot stand it.1 I said, 'Give my compliments to Mr. Archer, and tell him I won't beat him. I'll miss the meeting—and I did.' "Fred was a fine rider, but it is a

curious fact that his brother always liked my riding best, and liked to get me up on his horses whenever I was free. , , "I have ridden some splendid horses, but in my opinion St. Simon was the best of them all. I never knew how fast he could go because he was never extended. "Other good ones I rode were Bendigo, The Bard (on which I was second to Ormonde in the Derby)— Ormonde was an outstanding horse —Reve dOr, a marc on which I won the One Thousand Guineas and the Oaks, and Galtee More. "In 1897, for Sam Darling, I won the Two Thousand Guineas, the Newmarket Stakes, the Prince of Wales's Stakes'at'Ascot; the Derby, and the St. Leger on Galtee More. "I had been oft for seven years for a breach of the rules. They found I owned a horse, and that cost me no less than £100,000, for a year after I got my licence back I earned £14,000." Wood mentioned that Sir BlundeH Maple once offered him a retainer of £5000 a year, and 10 per cent, of all stakes, but he could not accept owing to having previously fixed up with Lord Jtosebery at a retainer of £2000. Discussing his successes Wood said: — "The best race I rode was when I won the Derby on St. Blaise in 1883. I beat Fred. Webb and Fred. Archer by a neck and half a length. My other Derby winners were St. Gatien and Galtee More.

"I was really responsible for Tod Sloan's coming over. Lord William Beresford wanted me to ride first jockey for him, but I had to refuse. He said: 'Well, I have got a lot of good horses, and I am not going to be disappointed over a jockey.' So he arranged for Sloan to come over. I never copied Sloan's style, although I may have shortened by leathers a couple of holes; I never thought there was much in the style. I still think the old seat as good as the new, and I guarantee that, if I was riding today 1 should get plenty of winners."