1925 DERBY

ANOTHER RAINSWEPT COURSE MANNA'S EASY VICTORY ENTHUSIASM FOR -"STEVE." (FROM OBR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 2nd June. One does not quite know what tho Clerk of the Weather has at the back 61 his mind by ordaining another Derby Day of slush and misery—a relentless downpour and a driving wind which penetrated even into the front rows of the covered stands and made tho people there almost as uncomfortable as the hundreds on the uncovered roof and the myriads on the famous Downs. The onlookers went to the course by tens of thousands, but not more than a tenth actually saw anything of the race other than possibly a few coloured caps bobbing above the undulations of tho landscape. New Zealanders who were at Epsom in 1924 and in 1925 say in chorus: " Never again, unless a fino day is assured. It ia no fun spending hours on the Downs inside a bus packed with people you have never met be"ISN'T HE LOVELY" There was one brilliant colour splash on the landscape immediately prior to the!big race, and the hero responsible for the cheery change was " Steve" Donoghue, wearing the beautiful rosepink velvet jacket and cap of the owner of his mount, Manna. " Oh, look at Steve. Isn't he lovely?" cries an ehtKusiast. " He's sure to win in those gorgeous clothes—he can't possibly lose ! I'm having a bit on Steve!" So off she goes to arrange with the nearest " bookie." Two days before the event a • very jolly luncheon took place at tho Press Club, in honour of the founder of the Derby Stakes, the twelfth Earl of Derby, the principal guests being men i of renown and owners on the Turf, including Lord Derby, the Earl of Canarvon, Sir C. Hyde, Sir G. Bullough, Mr. H. E. Morriss (owner of Manna), and Mr. " Steve " Donoghue. Amid much laughter, owners gave tips." Thug Lord Derby, whdae horse was to be Conquistador: "I honestly confess I have a great love, for my fellow-men, but I don't want knyone except myself to- win the Derby. I mean, that is, that I shall be very pleased il Sir George Bullough or any of the others wins. If Lord'Astor wins, I will drink his health in ginger beer." (Laughter.) A sly illusion to Lady Astor's Prohibition propensity.. A morning newspaper correspondent aaid he could not tip Conquistador, because he had once eaten his straw bed, and might do it again. (Laughter.) Did he not realise that, once a horse has been found out doing that his straw. is changed, and he has peat moss that he can't eat, or sawdust?" (Laughter.) Sir G. Bullough: "I shall look forward myself to hoping that St. Becan may acquit himself well, and I am bound to say, if I cannqt win, that I certainly hope that nobody else will win." (Laughter.) Sir Charles'Hyde: "I will put my cards,- including the ace of diamonds, on the table, and tell you what we think iri our little stable about Dignity's chance—that includes myself, the owner, the trainer, the jockey, and the ' boy what does it.' We see not the very slightest reason why Dignity should not win the Derby. On the other hand, we see not the slightest reason why he should win." (Laughter.) Mr. H. E. Morriss: ' After reading all about it, I have come to the conclusion that nothing can win the Derby this year. (Laughter.) The reason why the Israelites of the old days found themselves in the rich and fertile plains of the Jordan was because they followed Manna. I advise you to do the same," Mr. R. C. Dawson (who ..was introduced, as "the real mystery man ■, who will tell us the truth ") said that Zionist had been galloped with a horse called Dignity. " I and my jockey both came to the conclusion that whatever other horse we did not beat in the Derby we would beat Dignity. We. have the greatest hopes that Zionist may win. . . . I am going to back Zionist, and I really advise all of you not to leave him out. The horse I fear most is Cross Bow." Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P.: " Manna from Heaven, yes, but when we remember that there are some horses that eat straw and are now given sawdust, what the devil hope is there? The only codsolation I have is that I have been advising Labour to stand on its Dignity. We will still be standing on it on Wednesday, judging by all I have heard. I am really here as the principal guest. We expected a few tips from the other people, but I am the representative of Derby. Sir George says to me: ' It'» all right, if you want to retire comfortr ably, take no notice of the rest.' (Laughter.) Lord Derby eays, ' What Lancashire says to-day the world shouts to-morrow.' But when I saw Steve lifting his glass higher than anybody else, 'By gad,' I thought, ' I am on it.' (Laughter.) Carslake, however, having looked at him, says, ' It's all right, people got that way in their old age.' If the Aga Khan should succeed, we shall be able to say to the people of India, ' Here's a further evidence of British Imperialism being successful.' (Laughter.) The Derby this year is more uncertain than the existence of the present Government." (Cheers.) Mr. Steve Donoghue, in response to cries of " Steve," rose, but as many of the company were unable to aee his diminutive figure, there were cries of " Stand on a chair, Steve." He did so. " You can take a straight tip from me," he said. " Whatever beats me will win the Derby. Manna is a handy little horse, not a big one, but genuine and game. Whatever beats Manna will win. Of course} he proved a true' prophet! And people-r-those who are wise after the events—now declare: " tor the Derby there's only one thing to do, and that is to follow Steve!" Manna passed the winning post eight lengths in front of Zionist (B. Carslake), with an outsider (The Sirdar, A. Esling, trained in France) third. The prominent display of The Sirdar, owned by Mr. A. K. Macomber, was one of the great surprises of the race, and he was running on well at the end. LUCK OF THE DRAW Among many unfounded rumours till the parade just before tho race was One that Manna had been scratched. When the' numbers went up, however, No. 18 was there, and when the field of twentyeeven came on parade, he was very much there. Then it was that the multitude became so enthralled with Donoghue's pink jacket arid cap. Among tho horses to meet with general approval at this stage were Manna, Zionist, and Cross Bow. - Oh the whole (in the opinion of "The Morning Post" sporting authority) it ■was a decidedly workmanlike field, though the general impression wan that the runners were rathe.? below the mual •Undari ia joint, of aualitj, boos-

i?luii\"a gvofil iM|uitsivHy wna ovliU'wed nn soon jin M(iiiii:i onmtl mi ltn> ohiuwj. Tins jockey tvitUl not veOwln from n imiilo of sutinfartioii it(> liift rcH'optain, und ha wtw iividknitly \vi*l! ttWanml with tho prosiiivta ut liw niuunt. . MtnnM ritaiilAved bountiful wtion upon cHiitwing to the start.

It whs H. i ortii)oi(louot) Mint Manna find Cross Bow', who Imd disputed favouritism for tho nice for no long, should hav« ,beon drawn tosothor at Nos. 14 and 15 rospeotively, while Zionist was alongside thorn nt No. 13. No\'t to the rails was Coucmisljulov, unil l'tolomy 11. was No. 2. '.lliflse iu'o not particularly favourable positions in tho Derby unless the horses who hold them can show good speed in tho onrlv stages. Neither Conquistodor nor Ptolemy 11. produced that turn of pace. The former, indeed, ran most disappointingly, and was not seen with a winning chance from start to finish. Ptolemy 11., on the other hand, did hold a good placo in the centre of the i field for tho first half of the journey, but. when the pressure wns put on he failed to improve his position. MANNA'S GREAT DASH Manna was about sixth when half-way up the rising ground, but on reaching the turn which leads to Tattenham Corner ho had raced up to Dalmagarry. Zionist and Warminster also considerably improved their positions, and can be said to have been the only ones who made tho Bomblance of a fight against tho Beclchamptou colt. On rounding the famous corner, however, Warminster had clearly failed in his effort to hold Donoghue's mount, Who swept into the straight with a clear lead. Two furlongs from the. end Donoghue was ablo to take a swift look round, and found none of the others within challenging distance of him. Thus he did not find it necessary to call upon Manna for any special finishing effort, and the colt cantered home with the greatest ease. Zionist remained prominent after turning into the straight, but he did not seem to relish tho strenuous calls which Carslako made upon him and though he proved too good for all the others he was many lengths behind Manna when the winning post was reach"GOOD OLD STEVE!" Then came the excitement of the lead into the little paddock beneath the Jockey Club stand. Mr. Morriss had gone to meet.his horse, and with "Steve" still on, the progress was not easy, for the little man was overwhelmed with cheers and cries of "Good old Steve!" Indeed, one could not help feeling that the enthusiasm of the crowd was more for Steve and Manna than for owner and trainer. Last year it was so different, when Lord Derby led in Sansovina, but whereas the latter is such a well-known man in the racing world and out of it, Mr. /Morriss is comparatively little i known, for he has but one horse in rac- ] ing—Manna—and he is a business man ' better: known in Shanghai than to the } Epsom frequenters. However, Mr. Mor- j riss was obviously delighted. Steve's face was wreathed with smiles and his arm must'have been tired with acknowledging the multitudinous cheers and congratulations. Then, his small' jockey son, Pat, imemediafcely his f^'her had dis- i mounted in the unsaddling enclosure, ran down the weighing-room steps and proudly kissed him., Most of the other jockeys' faces were splashed with the top soil of the Downs. As Manna was unsaddled his beautiful quality and his symmetrical lines were naturally more admired than ever, and especially was his breeder, Mr. J. J. Maher, of Ireland, who sold him as a yearling for 6300 guineas, immensely gratified. "I KNEW" The following interesting statements were made after the race:— Donoghue: "Manna gave me a beautiful ride. I was fairly well drawn, always lying handy behind a few sprinters. I passed Dalmagarry at the mile post, and after that I didn't worry. Coming down into the dip, Dalmagarry weakened. Manna shot to the front without any bidding from me. From start to finish I never showed him the whip. He took his head and went along without faltering a step- Even in the laat 100 yards he didn't weaken, and- I don't know how much more I could have got out of him had I asked for it. I always knew that there was no question of his staying but he almost surprised me today. No man could wish to have a better horse. It all proved I was right about my mount. The crowd' were a great encouragement before the race. They didn't seem to care about the rain, and wished me luck in the old way, and that means a lot when you're keyed up to Derby pitch." A HEAVEN-SENT GIFT Mr. Morriss: "I never had a doubt after the Two Thousand Guineas that Manna would win the Derby. I always felt that he was a Heaven-sent gift,- and that is why I call him Manna, which at any rate is an appropriate name, for Waffles', his dam, has the name of a food, and so has Buckwheat, the sire of Waffles. All Shanghai was on him to a man. For' the past fortnight I have been. inundated with cables from China asking me to put money and more money on the horse, so that I also began to tremble when I thought of what a Black Monday there would be in Shanghai if my good colt came unstuck, but Manna won with the greatest of ease, as I felt sure he would. I feel the proudest man in the world." MANNA'S OWNER AND TRAINER. Mr. Morriss has not raced a great deal in England, but has occasionally paid big prices for horses, particularly yearlings at the Doncaster sales. He- paid 6300 guineas for Manna, and the Two Thousand Guineas was his first important triumph.s Manna, who is a colt by Phalaris, a reputed non-stayer, was prominent as a two-year-old last season. He was never out of a place in the whole of his five races, two of which he won. These were the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, and the Moulton Stakes at Newmarket in October. Manna's trainer, P. Darling, presides'over a useful string of horses at j Beckhampton. He was the trainer of Captain Cuttle, who won the Derby in 1522. By winning his sixth Derby on Manna Donoghue beat Fred Archer s record of five winners. The Derby winners, ridden by these two jockeys were:— Donoghue. Archer. 1915—Pommern 1877—Blair Athol 1917—Gay Crusader 1880—Bend Or X9iil—Humorist 1991—Iroquoia 1922 Captain / 1885—Melton Cuttle 1886—Ormonde. 1923—Papyrus 1925 —Manna. Donoghue's first two Derbys were War-time "substitute Derbys" run at Newmarket. . , ■ I