THE ENGLISH TURF. DERBY DAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 57, 5 July 1884, Page 3

THE ENGLISH TURF. DERBY DAY.

The race for the Derby on May 2Sth resulted in a dead heat between St. Gatien and Harvester ; Sir John Willoughby's filly Queen Adelaide came in second. The other starters were — Gerard's St. Medard, Hamilton's Loch Ranza, Osborne's Waterford, Price's Bedouin, Walton's Richmond, Mclntyre's Beauchamp, Jardine's Borneo, Long's Condor, Hnldaway's The Hopeful Dutchman, Rothschild's Talisman, Lefevre's Brest, and Rothschild's Woodstock. The betting before the race was — 2 to 1 against Queen Adelaide, 5 to 1 against St. Medaul, 13 to 2 against Talisman, 10 to 1 against St. Gatien, 12 to 1 against Beauchamp, 12 to ] against Waterford, 14 to 1 against Borneo, and IS to 1 against Richmond. There was an excellent start. After three strides Richmond assumed a slight lead. After a quarter of a mile had been covered, Woodstock took up the running, Richmond second. They went through the furze in front of Bedouin to the mile post, where Richmond again took command. They ran thus to the top of the hill. Going downhill, Borneo assumed the lead, followed by St. Gatien and Richmond. Entering the straight Loch Ranza joined Borneo, C^uecn Adelaide and Harvester close up. When a quarter of a mile from home, Borneo was still leading, followed by St. Gatien. The leaders continued in these positions to the distance pole, where Borneo was beaten. St. Gatien was here joined by Harvester, and a tremendous race home took place, the pair running locked together, Queen Adelaide third, Waterford fourth, Brest, Talisman, Borneo, and St. Medard following in the order named. Richmond was the ninth to cross the line, Woodstock and The Hopeful Dutchman last. The race was not run off. The stakes \vere divided between the owners of St. Gatien and Harvester, The time of St. Gatien and Har vester was 2.46 l-sth. The New York " World's" London special of the 28th May says: — It has now transpired that the real owner of St. Gatien is a builder at Epsom, and an intimate friend of Fred Archer, the jockey who rode St. Medard. The popular belief among sporting men, says the " Despatch," is that Harvester was never ill, as was reported, and that the circulation of the

report wag merely a trick to rig the market and obtain long odds. When Harvester appeared on the trade his perfect soundness was so patent to all bebolders that he was very heavily backed, and large sums of money must have been landed by his owners and backers. It is probable, however, that Sir John Willoughby will have some awkward questions to answer about the alleged trickery in the reports of his horse's condition, and also about the pulling by Jockey Webb, of Queen Adelaide, who would undoubtedly have won had she been allowed. Walton, the American " plunger," has been badly smashed by the defeat of .Richmond. An objection has been lodged against St. Gatien on the ground that the description of his pedigree is deficient. Rover, his sire, was purchased at the ridiculously low price of £50. Now £2,000 is offered for him.