A FAMOUS RACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1926, Page 1

A FAMOUS RACE.

THE STORY OF THE DERBY

Tho Derby, for all its possibility of romance, lias not inspired writers to any notable effort (says Edgar Wallace in “John o’ London’s weekly”). Dickens, fo r example, seems to have been unaware that “the Epsom Races” drew hundreds of thousands to the Downs; Disraeli gave the event a passing reference, and it was left to lesser writers to spread themselves over the glories and wonders of the great race. Poor Ouiila !■ She invested the event with her own brand of toffee-glamour, but she is only remembered in this association by her charming errors—did she not make one horse win the Derby two years in succession? When it was pointed out to her that the race is for three-year-okl colts and fillies, she answered: “It is an absurd restriction. I hope my book will alter all that !” The Derby, that “paramount and Olympic prize,” is the one English horse-race which has its replica in every civilised country in the world. There are Derbys in every capital of Europe; Derbys in Australia, South Africa, and Canada; a Kentucky Derby, a South American Derby, an Argentine Derby, and even a Derby on a little racecourse in Central Africa.

I once asked the present Earl of Derby how tho race came to be initiated, and he replied with great frankness :

“In the old days matches were made over the port,” lie said; “and T do not doubt that when my ancestor conceived both the Oaks Stakes and the Derby Stakes for tlnee-yeai-old fillies and colts respectively, it came about in this way.” The Derby is unique for many reasons, not least of which is that it has been run in successive years since 1780 over practically the same course as it is run to-day. That course is unlike any other track in the world. The horses have to climb, in the first live furlongs a- height equivalent to half the height of the Crystal Palace Tower. There is a long, more or less level run lie fore the field dips down to latteiiham Corner, and this last fall of the ground is perhaps the most trying test of a horse’s character that has over been devised. There are scores of good horses who cannot survive the climb and then that helter-skelter downhill, and who .“prop,” by which I mean check their pace unconsciously, so that, when the level is reached again and the slight hill of the finish looms up before them, they are wholly incapable of making up the ground they have lost.

Although, the fourteenth Earl of Derby inaugurated this race, he did not win it until seven years alter its incpetioii, when Sir Peter Teazle, ridden by one of the remarkable Arnull family, won from seven runners—-the smallest field, by the way, being a field of six in the year 1.783, when Sul tram won. In more recent times Rock Sand won from seven runners, St. Ainant from eight, and Cicero and Or by from nine. There were thirtytwo runners in 1847, when Cossack won, but the record field faced the starter in 1862, when Caractacus headed a field of thirty-four. Derby favourites have suffered very little, remembering the extraordinary importance of the race, from the hand of the nobbier. Orine was undoubtedly got at. and in more recent times Tile Panther, a red-hot favourite. is believed to have been poisoned with, an apple in which powdered glass was concealed though as to this story we have only the evidence of one who alleges that he was employed to carry out this dastardly act.

In the year 1884 there was enacted a tragedy in connection with the Derby of which we have a daily reminder. A solicitor in the City of London had defrauded his client of a considerable sum of money, and bad had a very strong tip for St. Gatieii. which he hacked not only to rocouphis losses but to bring him a fortune liesides. To arrange this bet it was necessary that he should make further inroads upon his clients’ money, and this he did, knowing that if St. Gntion failed there was nothing left for him in life. lie was one ol a group that surrounded a tape machine, then in its infancy, that was bringing the news of the Derby result. Presently the “off” was signalled. and then the machine buzzed—the result was coming through. He watched the tape, fascinated, and presently it spelt a word—Uarveser: the horse he had been warned might win the race. Without another word he left the lobby where the machine was. went into a room, and shot himself. Had he waited another second lie would have seen that Harvester and St. Gatieii had run a- dead-heat, which, would have meant that all the money lie required to clear himself, and more, would have been his oil settling day. In consequence of this tragedy renders who watch tape machines in operation will notice that, when a dead-beat is run the words "deadheat” precede the names ol the two horses.

There have lieon some wonderful Royal victories in the Derby. Persimmon gave King Edward, then. the Prince of Wales, his first triumph; and Diamond Jubilee bis second. Diamond .'Jubilee was a very difficult horse to ride, ami lie conceived a violent antipathy to Hie stable jockey, Mornington Cannon. “Moniv” could do nothing with him at exercise, and the friends of the Royal sportsman were in despair, until Marsh mentioned the fact that there was a stable boy named Jones in whose hands the horse was tractable and went kindly. Little dones was hauled out of His obscurity: and Hie Prince looked at him for a long time before lie made bis decision. “If you are good enough, for Diamond jubilee vou are good enough for me, mv boy,” be said, and Jones had the ride, and won, amidst scenes ok extraordinarv enthusiasm, which ueie repeated to‘an even greater extent when the Prince, afterwards King Edward. won his third Derby with Minoru a very moderate horse and a leased one Jit that.

It is a remarkable fact that from 1787 to 1924 no Earl of Derby had succeeded in carrying off this prize, and possibly even the scenes which accompanied the victory of Minoiu were eclipsed in that frantic moment of enthusiasm when the Earl of Derby went out last year to lead in his winner, Sansovino. Of the hundred-to-ono winners there have been several. Sir Hugo was one. Jeddah was another, Signormetta, a filly bred and trained by an old-fash-ioned Italian nobleman, was yet another; whilst the Derby sensation oi 1913 was tbe disqualification of Cragnnour (unfairly, as I think) and the awarding of the race to Aboyeur, who started at forlorn odds and was probably tbe worst Derby winner we have seen' since the race was organised. French-trained horses have won it on several occasions. Debar II was the victor in the year of the war, Glndiateur in 1865, whilst an American horse, Iroquois, ridden by Fred Archer, carried off the spoils in ’Bl. Archer won on Silvio in ’77, on Bend Or m 1880, on Melton in 1885, on Ormonde m 1886. Of tbe modern jockeys, Stephen Donogliue lias won the rae e three tunes and two substitute races run at Newmarket.