HERMIT'S DERBY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 50

HERMIT'S DERBY.

The death of the Marchioness of Hastings naturally revives interest in the turf transactions of that great plunger, the Marquis of Hastings, and Hermit's sensational Derby. It is said that when the young; aristocrat eloped with the fair Lady Florence the latter's fiance, Mr Harry Chaplin-, swore that he would ruin the Marquie. How well he carried out his threat is a. matter of racing history. In 1867 the> jilted lover had Hermifr engaged in' ther Derby, and his commissioners backed, him with Hastings (who also had a. smart colt in Uncaa engaged) to win a tremendous amount. In a- trial gallop some time before the race, however (says an exchange). Hermit was completely pulling over a track companion when he suddenly broke a. blood vessel. Mr Chaplin was inclined to scratch the horse- at once, but other counsels prevailed, though he thought so little of his chance that he gave up C'ustance (the horseman of the day) to ride The Rake. The extraordinary nart of the story is that on the Friday before the Derby The Rake also broke a blood vessel, so in changing his mount Custence had fairly got out of the frying pan into the fire. As a matter of fact, the misfortune to The Rake was thefar more 6erious of the two, as Hermit had simply ruptured one of the vessels in his nostrile. Still, with the exception of Captain Machell, the trainer, every one connected with him had quite abandoned any idea of bis winning the Derby. The captain, however, never lost hope, and took every precaution to avoid a repetition of the disaster of thafc unfortunate Monday. Hermit was docked 1 off most of his hay, and only allowed ono light rug in order to keep his blood as 000 las possible. Then all his work— and he did far more than was generally known — was done down hill, aa as to impose the least possible strain upon the blood vessels. He never did any really fast work, but on the Saturday before fcbo Derby he had no fewer than six canters of a mile each, traversing fche reverse way of the Rowley Mile on each occasion. On the day Mt Chaplin's colt, who 6tarted at ■ 100 to'l, scored- by the narrowest of narrow margins. The Marqui 3 of Hastings, although he lost £103;000 on the raoe, was the first to pat the winner when the horses returned to scale. He then dashed into Epsom in a barouche, and appeared as gay as could be. When he admitted to a friend a few days before hi s death that tho "Hermit hit had- fairly broken his heart, he added— "l didn't show it, did If Although the Marquis's debts to the ring had led to a. great family scandal, Mr Chaplin and his friends were paid every penny owed to them.