DERBY RACE SENSATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15610, 15 May 1914, Page 7

DERBY RACE SENSATION

. ♦ —.. •. • THE TETRARCH SCRATCHED. REASON FOR -THE STEP. LOSS TO UNDERWRITERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received May 14, 11.50 p.m.) London, May 14. Acting- upon the advice of his trainer, Mr. Dermont McCalmont has scratched The Tetrarch for the Derby, owing to"an injury to the horse's leg. ■ Though rumours had been current for some time that The Tetrarch was threatened with lameness, the scratching of the colt for the Derby caused a sensation on account of the short price at which he stood in the betting market, and the fact that he won every one of the seven races he contested at two years old. On the night before the scratching The Tctrarch was again made the medium of some heavy speculation which took place on the Derby. While performing an exercise gallop The Tetrarch struck himself in front. The limb affected was subsequently fired; but without the desired affect. Many of the backers of The Tctrarch for the Derby insured themselves last year with Lloyds against a possible breakdown 'and the underwriters have lost heavily. The Evening News states that prior to the running of the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September The Tetrarch showed a tendency to hit himself behind the near fore knee when at full stretch, Such serious results followed that the colt had to be withdrawn from the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kensington Park. Experts were consulted, and a specially constructed boot was tried, in the hope that such would combat the trouble; but this proved unavailing. The Tetrarch is unlikely to race again, and will retire to the stud shortly. MANY BADLY HIT. The scratching of a Derby favourite is at all times well tinged with the sensational. In the rase of The Tetrarcli, such takes an intensified form, for .at two years old the grey colt won every race for which he started, and those qualified to sum up matters bearing on racing did not hesitate to characterise him as the most marvellous galloper that has graced the English turf since the days of the celebrated St. Simon. From the time that his owner, Mr. D. McCalmont, deemed it expedient to use his scratching pen in connection with The Tetrarch's engagements last September, rumour lias been very busy with the colt's name; hut even the fact that he had been operated upon for lameness did not seriously affect his position as favourite for the* blue riband ; and last month there was quite a pronounced rally in his favour. That many who indulge in turf speculation will be hit seriously over The Tetrarch's scratching goes without saying. Derby betting is hot, however, in these days on anything like, the colossal scale that marked incidents connected with the great race in the sixties and seventies, when many of the nobility did not hesitate to back a favoured candidate for Derbv honours to win £1.00,000. Very few of England's notable sportsmen now bet largely. Many do not bet at all.