THE EPSOM DEREY COURSE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 39

THE EPSOM DEREY COURSE.

In the course of a chatty article on Epsom, a write.* in the Sporting and Dramatic News gives the outsider a very fair idea of what sort of a track the English Derby is run over. Hero is the part which refers to the course :

The Derby course is one of the most intelesting in this country. I do not Bay it is pno of the best, An experienced sportsman

told me the olhor day lhat he had once seen a worse course than this, but not much, in Holland. There is certainly plenty of give-and-take, ups-ancl-do,wns, and round-the-cor-ner business at Epsom. It is not every sporting writer who knows the Derby course so well as I do. Many ex ci cisc gallops have I ridden on it ; in one race over the full "classic" distance some years ago I was a conspicuous performer in the saddle except at the finish, when I had to be almost carried out of the dip ; and fo ardent has been my enthusiasm, so sincere and consistent my love for this historical ground, that I have walked all over it hundieds of limes. It has never lost its infinite charm lo me. To say that I know every blade of grass there and thereabouts would not te tiuo, since one blade of grass is, fortunately, very much like another, or we should not he able to take our strolls in the green fields without making new acquaintances, and thus spoil tho pleasure of the trip. But truly I could find my way over the Derby course blindfold, and might as well go to the races in that condition for anything I am able to win there. When Mr Covenlry— with his left shoulder elevated if he be in a temper — drops the flag at Epsom as a signal for the competitors to start for the Blue Riband of the Turf, the horses run up hill, say for about five furlongs, to the mile post; a.nd this ascent is more eevere than it looks lo a spectator enjoying a position of academic ease outside the rails. It is certainly a trying bit lo begin on; experienced jockeys know that they must not bustle their mounts while this first collarwork is being clone. At the mile post, however, the cour&e becomes easier, and there is a delightful stretch of level going to the top of the hill at Tattenham Corner. It is during this part of the journey that fashionable jocVeys put their hands d&wn and believe that tn<*ir chance of success is extremely brilliant.

But when arrived at Tattenham Corner, in an awkward terth, perhaps, among a crowd of horses, those eminent artists in the pigskin may not be quite so enamoured of their prospects. H^ie a cleFcent has to be made, also a bend to gel round and down ; the curve and descent are of some length and take time to successfully negotiate ; wl ile there must be no running wide or losing a favourable position by coming down the hill in a shrewd, tentative manner. Frod Archar ivas the first to introduce tin 1 system of hugging the rails round Tattenham Corner. The older school of jockeys, such as Fordham, Custan.ce, Jem Adamp, ami GoaU-r, used lo come out si little al that point so as to enter the straight more iiv the midd'e of the course, and thus escape the worst of the impending slight ascent, which in their opinion was experienced most acutely on the lower ground by the rails. Certainly when coming out of the dip at tho last-mentioned point the hill appears to be somewhat more severe than it is farther up on the stand side.

With, his customary cleverness, Archer had formed his own theory as to how to ride on this peoulifir course; and his remarkable success at Epsom favours the idea that his style was best suited lo the occasion. He never cared to lose an inch of ground at any stage of the journey; while some of his dashes Vound Taltenham Corner enabled him to gallop into the straight for home with a useful advantage that no doubt helped him to win a large number of races. Yet he was a lcng time in beating Paradox on Melton, and did not seem to get quite his place on tho rails that day. He was always keenly appreciative of the great fact, which young jockeys must jemember carefully, that Tatlenham Corner is a long way from home. Archer, of course, never tried to win there, only to make arrangements for winning. After tlvj road is crossed at the bottom of the historical turn, it is all plain sailing, so to speak ; there is a straight course before you with plenty of room and plenty of time to win if your hoive possesses the necessary speed and stamina. The small ascent towards the firis^h is not one to terrify a brave soul in pursuit of glory and gold. Archer always seemed to be gcing very strong in the dro, and what marvellous power in the saddle he displayed while coming out of it on a horse that was ."lightly beat.