SENSATIONAL FAILURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20087, 26 October 1928, Page 18

SENSATIONAL FAILURE.

THE CASE OF S. DONOGHUE. I FROM OUU SI'riCIATi CORRESPONDENT. ] LONDON, Sept.. I? Steve Donoghue, (lie idol of tho British racing public and winner on six occaaioinof (1)0 Derby, who must have made far more money than any other jockey ill the history of racing, in penniless. A creditor? petition in bankruptcy has been filed against him. His financial downfall has staggered .all England. for it is known there were years when Steve's earnings were estimated (o exceed £'20.000 for the flat racing season of eight months Donoghue is probably tho best-known lockey in the world and his ardent nd Mirers have declared him to be the. fme3t horseman of all time. He is 44 years of aye As a boy ho worked in steelworks in Lancashire and later! winning a prize at a circus, tramped to Chester and ob tained a job in tho Eaton training stables He rode his first winner in 1905 His four Derby winners were:—Humorist, 1921; Cap lain Cuttle. 1922: Papyrus, 1923. Manna 1025 while, of course, ho gained two other victories nt Newmarket in the pub stitute events during the war. Donoghue bus won every important flat race and the only "classic" race tha( has eluded him «" fur ir the One Thousand Guineas. Since the time Fred Archer was at the peak ot his fame in tho 'eighties there has novel been a more populai incke.v llinn Donoghue and probably uo iockey in history held such nn attraction fo. what might be termed the non-racing public Thousand? of people, who otherwise refrained from backing horses, lmd their lil.Uo bit on his mounts in (ho Derby and oilier big races Recently Steve has experienced u run of il l luck. This year ho has had tho miefot tunc to ride no fewer than 108 consecutive losers, whereas from 19H to 1923 ho hende<t the list of winning iockoys. No one seeniH able to explain the I luck that has doggod Donoghue this season foi experienced judges declare that lie is riding almost as well as over. Steve takes his position quito eood-humouredly. 'I have had many runs of ill-luck like this before,' he told me. '1 remember some years ugo I could not find a winner. Once when 1 left the racecourse tho policeman on duly was tho only person to say, 'How do you do' to me.'' Recalling hiß great Derby victories Steve told mo that he had always made a special study of tho Epsom course. "When I had my first mount In tho Derby," ho said "] wulked the full length of the course mid after tho race 1 fully realised that if I wanted to win 1 must not only leave tho gate with lightning speed, but muS' at once take position." fA London cablegram to hand this weoli stated that it is reported prominent race horse owners and influential friends of the famous jockey, Steve Donoghue, arc'"forming a. (rust fund of ,£20,000 to safeguard the future of hia family and himself.]