SOME FAMOUS DERBYS.

New Zealand Mail, 27 August 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

SOME FAMOUS DERBYS.

DERBY WINNERS OF THE PAST. (Pat Brooklyn, in “Cassell’s Magazine.”) It is not my intention in this article to mention the horses entered for the coming race, but to confine myself to deal.ng with some of the mo>, famous Derbys and Derby winners oi cue past, both horses and jockeys, and to narrate one or two li mown facts and anecdotes concerning our most historic race. Notwithstanding the fact that the actual money value of the Derby stakes is very considerably less than that of those run for at several other meetings in the country, it still, nevertheless, remains the race of the year; and there are many people who. although they never go to any other race meeting during the season. would as soon think of missing a Derby as of deliberately omitting to take their meals at the proper times. This trait, is most strongly developed in the London middle and working classes, and the Derbv -'s essentially a working-man's race i;om the point of view of spectators, and hero are many working men _of middle age in London who can say that they have never missed seeing the Derby iuce they were first taken to the race as babies bv their parents. . . . Some uuaint old customs were in force during the first ten or fifteen Derbys, and one of them is clearly shown in a picture

of the Derby of 1791 by J. N. Sartorius, 111 which it is seen that it. was customary’ for the stewards “to ride along the course” to watch the competitors, and a separate steward was appointed for “each” horse, and his sole duty was to watch that particular horse and its rider. Sometimes the stewards’ mounts were better than the jockeys’, as was evidently the case in this particular race, for one of the stewards is to be seen riding along some lengths in advance of the winning hoi se.

Mr Wilson’s Champion, the winner of 1800, w r as the first horse to win the double event of the Derby and St. Legc-r, and this feat was not again accompFshed until 1848, when Lord Clifdeu’s Surplice won both events. In 1801 the Derby was won for the first time by a filly—Sir ('. Bunbury’s Eleanor—so that her owner thus had the double distinction of winning the first Derby ever run and also the first one ever won by a filly. In addition to the Derby. Eleanor won {.he Oaks of the same year—a double event which has only once been achieved by a filly s'nce, namely, in 1857, when B!i> '■ Bonny placed both races to her owner's credit. Before closing this article a mention of some of the rank outsiders which have won the historic race will be interesting. Azor, who won in 1818, started at 50 to 1 ; Phosphorus, the winner of 1837. was quoted at 40 to 1; whist Doncaster tinwinner of 1873, stood at 45 to 1. The Hermit’s victory in 1867 was certainly

„„„ of flie most unexpected successes, for, ?n addition to the race being run m a nnwrtorm the horse was reported to be dead lame and a certain ncfti-runner. However, he started at 66 to 1, and won his lucky owner .£150,000. The most seasonal victory of an outsider, however, ® a s mat of Jeddah in 1898 at 100 to 1. It was thought by tliose supposed to be in the know” to be very much inferior to a stable companion, which started cecond favourite. But in a ftoto of !?„hteen runners O. Madden astonished everyone by winning somewhat easily. Whilst the stable companion was nowhere, filing to get even a place amongst the first six.