EXCITING DERBY FINISHES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3333, 9 August 1926, Page 2

EXCITING DERBY FINISHES.

(By Edgar Wallace.)

As a- general rule the Derby Stakes is a race which does not produce a thrilling finish, whatever may ho its effect upon those ecstatic individuals who have backed the winner. Veteran racegoers talk of the finish when St. Gatien and Harvester ran a dead-heat, but there was an incident connected with that exciting end, played out of sight of the hundreds of thousands who witnessed the race, which in its way was the most poignant piece of tragedy 1 have ever heard. There was a solicitor in London who for years had been systematically robbing Ins clients. Ho decided to make up all his losses and place himself in credit by one big coup, and he backed St. Gatien at a long price to win him a fortune, using his. clients’ money for the purpose of making the bet. He was in a West End club waiting for the result of the race. The tape buzzed and ticked, and presently the result came through—“ Harvester. . He waited to see no more, but, walking into a deserted room of the club, he shot himself. Had be waited a few seconds lie would have seen that St. Gatien had dead-heated, and that he, had made enough money to get himself out of all his trouble. Since then, when a dead-beat “comes up” on the tape, the result is preceded with the words “dead-beat.” Of the results I have seen, none exceeded in excitement and thrill the driving finish which eventually gave Aboyour the spoils. Craganour, the property of Mr Bower Ismay, was the best-backed horse in the race, and in an unsatisfactory finish Craganour and Aboyenr, an unconsidered 100—1 outsider, fought out the issue. Between the merits of the two horses there could bo no comparison. Craganour was a line type oi. the classic horse, Aboyenr was not far removed from a plater. Both horses were weary of the struggle, and there can be little doubt, from the photographic evidence of the finish, that Aboyour was the more weary of the two, and laid heavily on the favorite. The photograph shows Aboyenr practically leaning on the other. .. A great deal of bumping occurred right under the stewards’ eyes, and when the rider of Aboyour objected, it was Craganour that was disqualified. Mis owner was so disgusted that he practically gave up racing, though later be had a number of horses in training, one of whom was Heverswood. Sunstar’s Derby produced a remarkable, if not a spectacular, finish. The horse was undoubtedly lame, ‘and finished on three legs. He was probably tile games); -animal that ever won the race. Tile re was drama and comedy, too, in tiie victory of Orby. Orby was owned by Boss Croker, and a few months before Croker, who was not persona grata with the Turf authorities, was told that he would not be allowed to l rain ni Newmarket Heath. The old man came down to Epsom seething with indignation at the slight placed mi him. and it was a bitter man who, friendless and alone, watched the saddling of the horse. Not a muscle of his face moved when Orby forged ahead and won his race with a fair amount of comfort. I watched him as be stood by the horse when it was unsaddled, and saw the malignant little grin bo directed towards tho Jockey Club stand. That grin spoke volumes. The most exciting race of all was file first Derby I. saw. I was a Tommy at tho time, and I saw it from the Hill. 1 remember it well because it was the year I went to South Africa. Everybody was agog to see King Edward’s great horse, but all the knowledgeable people one met were satisfied that St. Frusquin would win, the latter being tlx* property of Leopold de Rothschild. As in more recent years, when Papyrus and Pharos met. it was a two-horse race, St. Frusquin leading Persimmon in t'm strai lit. Tommy I.oates was on Rothschild’s horse, and Watts on Hie hi- brown hope of King Edward. V furlong from home it looked as if St. Frusquin would win. but balancing I'ersimmon —and he wanted a bit of halancing-jWntts brought him up to win by a neck. I did not see King Edward on that historic occasion, though the thunder of the cheers swept over Epsom Downs like 1 a hurricane. In later years, when Minoru, a fairly moderate horse, also won in the royal colors, the enthusiasm seemed to be even greater, though this time 1 was in a favored place on the stand. As a demonstration it was only equalled by that which greeted Lord Derby when he came out to lead in Sansovino, the easiest winner of the race 1 have soon in .‘3O years. A finish that thrilled me, at any rate, was that in which St. Amant was concerned. Leopold dc Rothschild, a pillar of the Turf, was his owner. Dark clouds began to gather before the race, and soon after the gate went up there was a. flicker of lightning, a deafening peal of thunder, and rain came down in buckets. Without any covering, with not so much as an umbrella over him. Leopold de Rothschild, then well on in the sixties, stood out in the downpour, his froekeoat i wet, his top-lint bedraggled. and cheered home his one and only winner of the race. The French had brought a champion in Gonvcnianto, but St. Amant, a most dilficnlt lior.se, either responding to the wonderful horsemanship of Kompton Cannon, or. as some say, frightened

out of iris senses by the .thunderstorm, was on bis best behaviour, and, although the margin was not a great one, he bad ins bead in front at the critical and vital moment. There was romance enough in the finish of tile 1908 Derby. Every racegoer knew Chevalier Ginistrelh, an enthusiastic owner, who bad twice found in ids little string of horses a classic winner. TJio apple,of his oye was Signonnelta, but nobody who -understood

racing dreamt for one moment that Signorinetta had any pretensions to chissie lorni. and all sorts of fancy prices, ranging iroiu I.lOU—l, to 10U—I, were offered against her chance. One enterprising: bookmaker laid £IOO jo a cigar, and bad. reason to regret bis temerity. To the amazement of the crowd, Signorinetta’s colors were always prominent, and. splendidly handled by W. Bullock, the filly had the race won as tiie field came up the hist little ascent. l.)m> has watched the demeanour of owners m these exciting circumstances. ;iml has seen some so phlegmatic that (bey would not pat their winner for fear of soiling their gloves, but Ginislrejli’s warm southern nature found the fullest expression, and when, two days later, this wonderful filly of his wgn the Oaks, King Edward sent for him.