Won £l00,000

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 977, 21 May 1930, Page 14

Won £loo,ooo

Over One Race COLLECTED HORSES’ TAILHAIRS NOTED PLUNGER DEAD Mr. Charlie Mills—no one ever called him Charles—who has died in Anglesea, North Wales, was for many years one of the most remarkable figures on the English turf, commented a London writer. He began life in humble circumstances in Birmingham, raised his railway fare to London by betting, and rose by accident from a bookmaker’s runner to be the biggest commission agent of his day. Mr. Mills won over £IOO,OOO on Winkfield’s Pride when that’ horse won the Cambridgeshire in 1896. In three other races in succession he was the gainer of £49,000, and with part of the money he bought a house on Putney Heath. which he named after the famous horse.

He was exceedingly proud of his big collection of hairs from the tails of famous racehorses. JMr. Mills was financially interested in Daly’s Theatre and in a number of the late Mr. James White’s ventures. 'When the crash came he was hit severely.

He was so superstitious that one day after wearing a new suit at a race meeting and losing heavily he-gave the suit to the cabman who drove him home.