DEATH OF MR SNEWING. THE SENSATIONAL DERBY TRIUMPH WITH CARACTACUS.-REMINISCENCES OF AN EVENTFUL YEAR. London, January 14.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 3

DEATH OF MR SNEWING. THE SENSATIONAL DERBY TRIUMPH WITH CARACTACUS.-REMINIS-CENCES OF AN EVENTFUL YEAR. London, January 14.

The death of Mr Snewing, owner of the famous Caractacus, recalls memories of one of the most eventful and eenaational Derbys ever ran over Epsom Downs. To Australians the story of this race must always be of special interest, for it was one of the few occasions that The Marquis, who died recently in Victoria after a lone; and useful career at the stud, suffered defeat on the turf. John Scott, indeed, always maintained that had the colt's jockey made less use of him during tbo early part of the struggle, Caractacus would never have been returned winner of the Biuo Riband. The owner of a second is, however, generally of the opinion that but for something or otheritshould have won. Mat Dawaon, I know, declares Buckatone would have been returned the winner had he run up to his trial, and Jackaon, the leviathan bookmaker, could never understand why Neptunus, who had won a most extraordinary trial ; with Tim Whifflor — another subsequent emigre to the colonies— got no nearer than fourth. Mr Snewiug was a bookmaker, not a " member of the ring " in an ordinary acceptation of the term, but one of the " Hat " men who, till Andersons act was passed, kept shops in one of the small streets at j the back of Drury Lanes. He had a small stud, which he trained privately in a somewhat happy-go-lucky manner. At the Exhibition of 1851, when quite a young man, he °aw a magnificent piece of statuary representing Caractacus in chains being led captive to Rome. The beauty of the work and the euphony of the name caught hie fancy, and turning to i the companion of the moment, he said, "If ever I try a horse good enough I'll call him Caractacus, and win the Derby with him." To win the Derby was Snewing's (like ninny other peop'e'p) great ambition, and 80 certaiu was he that the " good thing " would some day come off that he laid down a bin of sherry with the determination that the first glass ehou'd be consumed in honour of the great occasion. Just ten years later, and on the evo of the opening of the second Great Exhibition (that of 1862), Mr Snewing found himself with a colt of unusual excellence, by Kingdtone, out of Defenceless, to which he felt justified in giving the name of Caractacus. The youngster was bought as a yearling for 270 guineas at Mr Blenkiron's eale in 1860, and did not distinguish itself an a two-year old. Early, however, in 1562, Caractacus was on everybody's lips as a likely outsider for the coming Derby. This was after the Great Metropolitan at Epsotn Spring Meeting, in which Mr Snewing's cob ran a great race with the then fninou3 Asteroid. Hardly, however, had the bookmaker and his friends heavily supported Caracteoup for the blue ribbon than ho diegraced himeelf inexplicably in the Biennial^ Newmirket, and this defeat was bucceeded by others in the Chester Cup and Great Northern Handicap at York which eeemerl to entirely dispose of the colt's Derby chanco and drove him to 100 to 1 (0) in the betting. Snewing'a trainer then arrived at the conclusion that the colt was over-cinne and changed hia syetem of exercise, with t?uch success that Caractacus was soon himself again, and ten days before the Derby won the Soinereetehite Stakes at Bath after wuiking ton miles to the course from a distant farm-house where he was atablod. The Derb> fever never raged with greater Merceries than during the week prior to the Epsom carnival of 1862. All the world and hia wife, including princes and potentates innumerable, were in London Celebrating tho opening of the greatest Exhibitions, and every man (wort'i his aalt) meant to be at Epsom on the ensuing Wednesday. The Marquis, the colt that subsequently made euch a name at the atud in Australia, waa first favourite of the 34 starters. Fo hailed from the invincible stable of John Scott, and had won the Two Thousand to boot, facts which made him the idol of the pepu'ace and ttrror of the ring. Then thero was Bucketone, thehopeof the followers of shrewd Mr Merry and the " boy in yellow ;" St. Joseph Hawley'e pair, Argonaut and St. Alexte ; Lord Glasgow's highly tried Brown Bess colt and Loid Sfc Vincent's Hchanallon. All tbe g o weie backod with a steady confidence to win kir^o faiti^e 1 , but the horse that would certainly have broken the ring, ha<i ho won, waa Noptunua, the property of Jack -on, (he lovuthan bookmaker, who had b^en liied " a dead certainty" with the Chostcr Cup winner, Tim Whiftlcr- another eventual emigre" to Australia. Lord Stamford (thegroat plunger of thoante- Hastings period) bad also a hcr&a called Eiieign engaged, who wag heavily supported, ami an outsider namod Arc of Hoarta likewise found numerous friends.

An Objection to the Winner. For the description of the race and the remarkable scone that followed I shall quote from Mr Corlett, of the " Sporting Times," who has bean looking up tilea of " Bell's Life" to refresh his recollections of these stirring old times. The Derby day proved hot and sultry, and the assemblage on the Downs phenomenal, The Marquis remained a firm first favourite up to the btarfc, though close pressed by Bucketone. Curactacus'a price was 50 to 1, one of the last wagers laid being 5,000 to 100 to a gentleman who liked the colt's action in the preliminary canter, James Goater, Snewing's chief jockey, had been offered the mount on Caractacus, but refused ifc in favour of a brute of his brother's, that finiFhed last. Parsons, a stable boy, was consequently put-up. Jim Goatex's refusal was specially unlucky, aa it cost him the annuity of £100 a year for life, which Snewing had promised to settle on his jockey if ever ha won the Derby for him. The start was a very bad one, Ensign and three others being Sbveral yards behind when the flog dropped. The Marquis, however, got off well, lo the delight of John Scott, who was not, however, co well pleased a little later when ho saw the colt making the running through tho fur zqs, as Ashmalt's orders were to wint, Coming down the hill Aehmalt steadied hia horeo and allowed Brighton, who bad run third for the Chester Cup, and Nottingham, to ridu whom the Duke of Baaufort had Riven up Alfred Day, to pasehim Close up with theae came Caractacus and Buckstono, Bide by side, and^feptunua and Argonaut. Crossing the road, Caractacus took the lead, but though he was in ! front, his inoxperienced jockey did not force him in the least, but rode with all the coolness of a veteran keeping his horse woll hi hand. The first to cry ago | was Nottingham, who had run fast in the Two Thousand, and, stumbling, he came nearly on to his nose and knesa, * Jack son'a " blue and white " on the dreaded Neptunus was the next to disappear, and the u Merry " men began to have fears for BtiekstGne, who had got his head down I and Was pitching terribly, This was near the bell. Hero the cherry jacket of Sir

1 r '• ' Joseph Hawley was seen well in the van, and loud shouts of "Sir Joseph wins!" " Argonaut wins I" were raised, but the horse, coming into collision with Bucketone, dropped away again. The light blue jacket and white oap of Caraotaoua were still in front, with the scarlet jacket and white cap of The Marquis on the lower, ground sticking to him like a leech, \t ith Bucks t>>ne improving his position again immediately it oame to climbing the hill. Caractacus, however, held him to the finish and won by a neck, John Scott's party moat unjustly blaming Aahmaltfor throwing away the race by being in front so soon after starting. A length and a half away came Buokstone, who did not show to advantage in descending the hill, and when Mat Dawson saw that his trial horse, The Knave, who ought to have been a hundred yards behind, was clobe up fifth, he ridiculed the idea of the runniug being correct, ao far as Buokscone waa concerned. Neptunus, who was boaton by the hill, was fourth, a head only in front of Buckstono's stable-com-panion. The winning numbers hoisted on the telegraph were — 17 14 6 but Mr Snewing's money was not yet won. Full of excitement and enthusiasm he presented himself to see Parsons weigh in. To his horror the jockey failed to draw the weight. The bridle was cent for, and "Oh, the agony I felt at that moment, I would not undergo it again for a thousand pounde," Mr Snewing remarked to us some years afterwards, when speaking of this circumstance. The bridle eefc matters right, and the beam just turned, but with nothing to spare. It was not, however, all over yet. A short time afterwards, Lord Stamford objected to the start on the ground that, with the oxception of hid own horse and three others, not one had gone the course. On thia, the excite ment became tremendous. Would the raco have to be run over again, or would it be void? Admiral Rous was, fortunately, at the head of affiirs, and he was almost the only man on the course who did not luae his head. On Lord Stamford making his protest, Admiral Rous took his watch out of his pocket, and, noting the time, said, " Twenty minutes ! The objection, to hold good, Bhould have been made within a quarter of an hour," this being the then 66th Rule of Racing. The Admiral further stated that, had the objection been made within the quarter of an hour allowed, the stewards would have had no alternative but to declare the race void, and all bets and forfeits would have been cancelled. They could not have ordered the race to be run over again, as four horses had gone the right course, ami, if any one of those four had been placed, say, fourth, by the judge, Caractacus, The Marquis, and Buckstone would have been disqualified, and the race awarded to the horse so placed. What a dilemma was here escaped. Oh, what a surprise ! Horses not placed by the judge are technically distanced, and the same is the case with those that have gone the wrong course. If, therefore, Ensign had been placed fourth by the Judge, and the claim to tha stakes had been made within a q jart-or of an hour, he would have been proclaimed winner of the Derby, and there would have been no second or third horse. These events were so startling that no wonder, when Mr Snewing awoke in his house in Euston Square tho following morning, all that had taken place seemed to him like a dream. "Is it true, is it true, iave I won the Derby, or have I dreamt t?" ho called out to his nitce, " Make haste down, uncle, and come and look ; the drnwiog room hung with blue ribbon*," she replied. Even that did not satisfy him, and after seeing the ribbon*, he said " Sonrl out for a newspaper and let me ccc ib in print " The " Times " was brought him, and on seeing ll Mr Snewing's b c Oaractacus, by Kingston, out of Defencless, Sst 101b, J. Pardons, 1," he replied, "Now Cam eatiefiecL I know that I have won tho Derby." fie won over the race about £25,000, a "noble lord" won £12,000, Baron Niviere £10,000, Mrßignold £5,000, Prince Batthyany £4,000, and Mr Edmonds, Mr Waites, Mr Coward, and Mr Mundy also threw in for good stakes.