"DANNY" MAHER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2988, 27 January 1917, Page 6

"DANNY" MAHER

DEATH OF JOCKEY WHO WON THREE DERBIES. Daniel Moher, the celebrated AngloAmerican jockey and rider of three Derby winners, two in successive years, died recently in a London nursing homo from consumption and weakness of tho heart. It is three years since ill-health compelled: Maher to renounce the saddle. Some of his finishes gave an. impression of great strength, but this was more apparent than real, whatever the equduo recipients of his inimitable "one-two" almost on the post might have thought about it. Mahcr had a. perfect knowledge of how and when to use the whip, which unfortunately can be said of all too few jockeys at the present time. In hopes of improvement Mahor sought the more genial climate of Sputh Africa, and it was , a mistake for him nofc to nave stayed there indefinitely. But ho loved England too well to keep' away. Hβ had 1 become naturalised, and before financial reverses came along he cherished visions of a little country estate. These vanished, however, when he lost practically all his money. Thousands went in a disastrous hotel .venture, in ■ Connecticut, his native State, while he also lost heavily in American speculations. JVlaher came to England in 1900 on the advice of Mr. P. Lorillard, the tobacco magnate, who won the iEnglish Derby with Iroquois. He "made good" at onco, and" wften he gave up in, 1913 ho had ridden 1371 winners. His three Derbies wore gained on Sir J. Miller's 'Rock Sand, Lord Rosebery's Cicero, aoid Major Loder's Spearmint. Bay- i ardo, his mount in 1909, was off colour, and Minora scored for King Edward very luckily, for the Smerican horse Sir Martin, was merely cantering down to Tattenham Corner an assured 1 winner when something struck into Wm and his jockey came off. Maher triumphed .in other big races galore and became as much a public idol as were Fred Archer and Sloan before or John Reiff and Frank Wootton. Lord Rosebery was one of his etaunohest patrons, year after year renewing his engagement as first jockey. In 1910 his retainer from Lord Rosebery was £4000, while Mi-. Fairie paid him £2000 to ride Bayardo in all his races, and Mr. L. de Rothschild a similar suni for third claim on him. Once after riding a winner for King Edward ho was called out of the jookeys' room ana , ' complimented by His Majesty in the words, "I have seldom seen a finer ridden .finish." A diamond scarf-pin followed- tho compliment next day. Maher was no more infallible than other great joc-keys and mixed bad work with hie good. , He throw away the Goodwood Uup on Bayardo, beaten by the wretched? Magic, and a year later permitted Wootton and Fox to "pooket" him in the St. Leger when riding j Lemberg.