PUNTERS MOURN AT BOOKMAKERS’ DERBY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27375, 14 June 1954, Page 8

PUNTERS MOURN AT BOOKMAKERS’ DERBY

LONDON LETTER

[By

K. W. McCOOK

London Correspondent of “The Press”}

London, June 4. —The 1954 Derby will go down in informal racing records as the bookmakers’ Derby. When the American-owned horse, Never Say Die, cantered in an easy winner at starting odds of 33 to 1, there was jubilation among the bookmakers in Tattersail’s enclosure.

Two days before the race, backers lost more than £lOO,OOO to bookmakers when two of the favourites, Infatuation and Ambler 11, were scratched. Douglas Stuart, a leading London bookmaker, told reporters that in 50 years of racing, he could not recall a worse Derby for backers. Although the weather was dull and overcast for Derby Day and the crowd was small for the race (an estimated 250,000 as against the record 350,000 who saw the Coronation Derby), the Queen and the Royal Family were cheered loudly as they drove down the course from Tattenham Corner sta-

Many backers were disappointed that the Queen did not win on the anniversary of her Coronation Day, but Jier colt, Landau, ran badly. The small cheer that the winner got as he was brought back to be weighed in was some measure of the crowd’s disappointment at the Queen’s bad luck and the shock of seeing an outsider stroll away with the greatest race in the world.

Amon? those fortunate enough to have a few shillings on the winner were some 300 disabled former servicemen at Margate. At a luncheon during an annual outing to the resort, the Mayor of Margate recalled the old soldiers’ expression and advised the disabled men to have a bet on Never Say Die. Most of them did. The Mayor received an ovation from the men when he met them after the race. Fireman’s Hobby Nine years after VE Day, bomb disposal squads in Britain are still at work removing unexploded bombs. For two hours one day this week Lieutenant David Woodbridge, an army emergency reserve officer of the Royal Engineers, knelt down in the mud at the foot of a 25ft deep shaft in a garden at Locksheath, Hampshire, trying to extract the fuse of an unexploded 10001 b bomb. The bomb was remembered recently when the local council decided to extend a school nearby. The children were given a day off from school while the engineers removed the bomb. After the explosive material had been steamed out. Lieutenant Woodbridge poured immunising liquid over the fuse and then made the fuse ineffective by “shooting” it by remote control. Lieutenant Woodbridge was a schoolboy of 15 when the bomb was dropped in 1941. He loves “messing about with bombs” as a hobby. He is a fire brigade officer is civilian life. Castle For Sale Because he cannot find a buyer for his 270-roomed castle, Lowther Castle, in Westmorland, to pay the death duties on the sixth earl’s estate, the seventh Earl of Lonsdale has asked his 1100 tenants in coastal towns in Cumberland if they are willing to buy their house properties. If most agree, he will sell the properties; otherwise, they will be put up for auction in blocks. No-one has lived in Lowther Castle since 1936 and government departments, local authorities and other organisations who have been, approached as possible buyers are not interested in it. The death duties that the present earl has to pay are believed xo approach £500,000. Drill Sergeant’s Dilemma Drill instructors of the Battalion of Guards are still worrying about the new Belgian rifles as adopted as standard equipment for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries. The first consignment for the British Army is expected at armament depots next month.

Although the new rifles are designed to stand up to rough treatment under battle conditions, they are not built to be banged around on parade grounds. The cocking handle of the new rifle is on the wrong side for sloping arms

and they cannot be sloped, ordered-, presented in the current drill fashjJ The War Office will probably ,d eci u to retain enough Lee-Enfield riflej f' drill training and ceremonial parade As one instructor sergeant i s reported to have said, “Can you imagine , Buckingham Palace guard with a ril! that cannot be presented, sloped, w crashed to the ground?—lt is unthiifc able.” Stabilisers for Atlantic Liner Regular Atlantic travellers welcomed the news this wbek that the gi an Queen Elizabeth will be fitted wit Denny-Brown anti-roll stabilisers during her annual winter refit this yej r The stabilisers, which are and retracted through each side of th? hull below the waterline, are normallj fitted while ships are being built Once a ship is in commission, the fit. ting is a major job. Although the new device will d< much to minimise the discomfort suf fered by bad sailors in rough weather there is another reason behind the de cision to fit it to the liner. Shippi nj companies have found that they cat cut the cost of breakages to crocken and furniture by more than half i stabilisers are fitted. Nearly all moden liners coming from British shipyards including the Royal yacht Britannia have been fitted with them. Airline’s Gesture To help exports of British aircraft British European Airways this wee] agreed to allow three of the si Vickers Viscount planes it had oi order from the makers to be sold ti an American company, Capital Ait lines. The first British aircraft to b bought for regular service in th. United States, the three turbine-pro pellered Viscounts will cost £ 1.000,00 C They will be delivered this year. Capi tai Airlines has also taken an optfoi to buy another 34 planes. To ‘help the sale. British Europeai Airways turned over to the Ameri cans all the confidential operating fact and figures it has gained since its Vis counts went into service in April las year. The development and introduc tion of the Viscount, which was mad to meet British Empire Airlines re quirements, has cost the British com pany more than £1,000,000 in the las four years. It has 20 operating at pres ent. Open Air Theatre Closing After 22 years, the future of the opfii air theatre in Regents Park is in doubl A favourite spot with Londoners am visitors on sunny days, the open ai theatre’s Shakespearean repertoin may be abandoned this year unless fin ancial backing is forthcoming. Mr Robert Atkins, the Shakespear ean actor who has run the theatre fo many years, stated this week that th< Arts Council had withdrawn its sup port for the theatre this year and hi would probably have to abandon hi; usual eight weeks’ season. The Min istry of Works, which controls al Royal parks, has already advertised th< theatre as . to let. Unusual Insurance Risks

In Britain, it is possible to take ou insurance policies against anything Some agents even claim they will ac cept policies from risks against havini quintuplets to losing a wife to a mai with an Edwardian hair style. In Birmingham, one broker has in sured 30,000 people against the dreai diseases of infantile paralysis, small pox, paratyphoid ana typhoid. Fo the cost of £1 a year, the broker wil pay out £lOOO for anyone contractin! these diseases. As yet the odds an favouring the broker. Although he ha been running his scheme since 1947, hi has not yet paid on a claim.

Olivier as Richard 111 t Announcing his third Shakespeareai film production, Sir Laurence Olivie: announced this week that he wouli direct and play the title role in “Rich ard III.” Casting has not yet beei settled, but Sir John Gielgud, whos last appearance in a Shakespeareai role in the films was a« Cassius ii “Julius Caesar,” will play Clarence. The film will be photographed ii colour.