BIG FORTUNES WON AND LOST ON THE DERBY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 222, 16 September 1905, Page 11

BIG FORTUNES WON AND LOST ON THE DERBY.

Each year there are more fortunes won and lost on the Derby than on any other racp in the world, and the money that annually changes hands over that great classic event has been estimated at upwards of £3,000,000. For enormous individual wins the sensational Derby of 1867 undoubtedly holds the record. Oα this Henry Chaplin was reported to have won as mnrh as £150.000 by the extraordinary victory of his much-jeered-at colt Hermit, and of the few other persons who backed this rank outsider there were five who were said to hare made as much as £25,000 each. Nor can these huge winnings be at all wondered at when it is remembered that the long odds of 66 to 1 against this horse were freely given, and, Indeed, in most cases offered in vain. But in addition to the instances already quoted there were some highly sensational wins. It its on Tecord that a sporting purr veyor of meat in one of the northern suburbs of London made more oat of horseflesh that day than he did in all his life out of beef. He must have backed Hermit with all the money he was worth or could raise, for he netted the enormous sum of £100,000 by the animal's victory. Another notable win was that of an unscrupulous solicitor's clerk who '"borrowed" from his employer's cash box a round sum of £100 to speculate on the race. In this way he made for himself little short of £7000, and was able to replace the "borrowed" money before its abstraction could j be detected. Like all others who put their money on Hermit, fortune favoured him as it docs only once in a lifetime. Pretty much the same thing happened in the 1898 Derby, when all the money won went into the pockets of a mere handful of people. It was what may be called a bookmakers' race, for Jeddah was beyond | question the rankest outsider that ever won the Derby. According to a London sporting journal, one bookmaker cleared a fortune of upwards of £50,000 by this quite unexpected result. As some readers will remember, the odds were no less than 100 to 1, and the fortunate few who put their money on this horse experienced better luck than they ever will again. A certain nobleman who was induced, somewhat against his will, to wager £100 on Jeddah found to his astonishment at the conclusion of the race that he had made a cool £10,000 by his venture. The same agreeable surprise awaited a London publican who always endeavours to have £50 on t&e Derby. But on this occasion, by backing the outsider, he was able, to more than make good all his previous losses on favourites. Tor lie won the substantial sum of £5000. From Melbourne, Australia, it was reported that a working inau had won a not inconsiderable fortune over the same memorable Derby. He had taken n share in one of the many "sweeps' , that are promoted in that and every other Australian town, with the-result that Jeddah fell to him with the premier prize of £5000. In a guinea sweep, organised among the members of a well-known London club, the total subscription amounted to £1200, of which sum the lucky drawer of Jeddah took as his share the substantial prize of £700. It was some 13 years ago that Sir Hugo managed to snatch the blue ribbou of the turf from La Fleche by the distance of a head—a mere matter of inches—yet l hose few inches meant to a desperate backer, the sporting son of a Manchester manufacturer, the difference between a loss of £200 and the winning of £8000. For it will bo remembered that Sir Hugo's chances of getting first past the winning post wece considered so small that the odds were 40 to 1 against, at which figure our Lancashire friend was persuaded to back this outsider. Fortunately for him, though somewhat to his astonishment, Sir Hugo did contrive to win, thus replenishing his sadly depleted exchequer and enabling him to put away £3000 or £4000' as a sure provision for the proverbial rainy day. To the ordinary reader it may be news that John Gully, perhaps the most famous prize-fighter England ever produced, made at least half a dozen fortunes out of the great Epsom eveut. Moreover, he was one of the only three racehorse-owners who hare ever succeeded in winning the Derby three times since the institution of the race. It is generally believed that he made more money out of it than any other sportsman of his own or any other day. On the occasion of his third win. with Andover, in the year 1854. he was said to haTe won in wagers nearly £300.000, but of that snm he was able to obtain payment of only about £90.000. On the Derby alone his total winnings cannot have been much less than £500,000. and he died with upwards of £2,000,000. practically all of which he made out of horses and horse-racing. When Gladiateur, some 40 years ago, drove the French hackers of this animal frantic with delight by winning the blue ribbon of the English turf, some of them won very substantial fortunes, and could, therefore, afford to crow, particularly as this was the first occasion on which a French horse ever succeeded in winning the Derby. The only consolation this country gained from it was that the animal was ridden by an English jockey. Its owner, the Count de Lagrange, was said to have netted close npon £300.000 by his horse's victory, and one or two other Frenchmen who backed their country's canditlet* made upwards of £10,000 apiece.