THE LATE MR. MERRY, M.P.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5007, 11 April 1877, Page 3

THE LATE MR. MERRY, M.P.

(From the Home News.) This well-known sporting character, whose death was announced on Feb. 3, had been in failing health for some time, and this was why he severed his connection with the turf soon after retiring from the House of Commons, in which he sat for many years as member for Falkirk. His political career was an uneventful one ; but as an owner of racehorses he achieved greater, success than any other sports-

man now alive.- He did not, like the late Sir Joseph Hawley and Mr. Bowes, win the Derby four times, but his colors were victorious in every race of importance at least once, and a list of his principal winners would ■ fill several pages of the Calendar. The first horse of sterling merit which he owned was Chanticleer, with whom he won the Northumberland Plate, the Goodwood Stakes, and Doncaster Cup in 1848, and who was the sire of that good mare Sunbeam. In 1855 he won the Two Thousand Guineas with Lord of the Isles ; and three years later, by which time Mr. Merry had come into possession of the stables and training-ground at Russley, where his horses were under the charge of Matthew Dawson, Sunbeam and Blanche of Middlebie ran first and third for the St. Leger ; while in TB6O Tbormanby, ridden by Custance, won Mr. Merry his first Derby. The “ Squire of Russley," as it was the fashion to call him, always let his two-year olds have plenty of work, and this, in the opinion of many people, is why Dundee, Buckstone, Scottish Chief, Liddington, Student, Marksman, Belladrura, and King of the Forest did not do all that was expected of them as three-year-olds. All of these horses were heavily backed for the Derby in their respective years, and it was quite an exceptional thing for Mr. Merry not to have a “ winter favorite” for the Epsom race. After sweeping the board as two-year-olds, most of the above-named animals developed some infirmity as they got older, and it is a well-known story how Dundee, breaking down at Tattenham Corner, “ struggled home on three legs” for the Derby, and was only beaten by half a length by Kettledrum. Liddington and Belladrum, though they were bad “ roarers,” distinguished themselves by obtaining a “ place” in the Two Thousand Guineas, while Buckstone and Scottish Chief did the same in the Derby. The two latter were less affected, by their two-year-old performances than any of the others, for Buckstone ran The Marquis to a head for the St. Leger, and as a four-year-old won the Ascot Cup, after a dead heat with the redoubtable Tim Whiffler. Thormanby had already secured this trophy two years before, and Mr. Merry won it for the third time in four years with Scottish Chief. Soon afterwards, Matthew Dawson, who had trained all these horses for Mr. Merry, left his service, and the Russley horses were placed : under the charge of Waugh, who trained Macgregor when that luckless animal won the Two Thousand Guineas, and ultimately of Robert Peck, who revived the fading fortunes of the stable. It was during his period of service that Mr. Merry achieved his final and not least notable triumphs, winning the Derby in 1873 with Doncaster, while in the same year Marie Stuart secured the Oaks and the St. Leger, beating her stable companion by a head only for the latter race. As four-year-olds they did not distinguish themselves as was expected, being both beaten by Boiard in the Ascot Cup, though Doncaster afterwards secured the Goodwood Cup. But in the following season they achieved a triple victory at Ascot, for while Marie Stuart won the Queen’s Vase, Doncaster secured the Gold Cup and the Alexandra Plate, and was sold for the enormous and unprecedented sum of 14,000 guineas. Soon afterwards Marie Stuart was sold for a large sum to Mr. Stirling Crawfurd; and in the course of another six weeks Mr. Merry’s connection with the turf was terminated by the sale at Tattersall’s of all his horses in training. His breeding stud had been disposed of two years before ; and how choice it was may be inferred from the fact that most of the horses referred to were bred by' Mr. Merry himself, Marksman and Doncaster being the most notable exceptions.