THE DAY FAMILY
Grandfather Da//— Scan the famous Joclcey — His first great, coup — "Ai/dorers Derby — John Dai/ — A sad mistake — The Hastings regime — Fall of Danebury — Edward Day. The arrival of a member of the Day family of trainers and jockeys in Auckland seems a fitting oeeasiou to revive some of the most notable memories connected with the name. We have therefore collected from various sources the following details which are approved as correct by Edward Day, and will doubtless be read with interest by the rising generation. The name of Day has been for many years one of the best known on the English Turf, old Grandfather Day's numerous descendants having kept the family name well before the public. The plentiful Edward - ses of the Prince Regent's days on Newmarket Heath have since been outnumbered by the jockeys and trainers answering to the name of Day. The first subject under consideration, Alfred Day, was the son of John Day (the first "honest John" of Danebury), who trained for the Dukes of Grafton and Portland ; his undo was the excellent horseman, Sam Day ; and two other uncles, Charles and William, were well-known riders. Their mother, old Mrs Day, had actually on one occasion seen four of her sons riding in the same race. The next generation contained a Sam Day of great promise, who met witli an accident ; John Day, "who sat a savage as if he were screwed on ;" and " Our William," whose fame as a trainer eclipses his reputation in the saddle. Of the twelve children of old John Day by his first wife, Alfred was one of the youngest, having been born in 1830. His father gave him a good education at Winchester ; but in holiday time, at home, he naturally took to riding his father's horses in their gallops on Stockbridge Downs, and before he was thirteen years old he had ridden a race at Newmarket, when, at 4st 71bs, ho rode the Squire's Shocking Mamma in the Cesarcwitcli of 1843. His progress in his profession was steady, and quite fast enough to please his father. His first great coup was when lie beat Flatman, in a race for the Thousand Guineas at Newmarket ; Chappie, Frank Butler, Jem Robinson, Job Marson, Sam Rogers, Sam Templeman, and Bartholomew, all having mounts in the same race. The name of Alfred Day soon after became widely known, and his brothers John and William willingly resigned all the riding to him. After carrying off the Two Thousand Ghiineas, and riding second for the Derby, he Avon the great race on Andover, landing a large stake for the Danebury party. Lords Clif den, Derby, and Palmerston, the Duke of Beaufort, Sir Robert Peel, and Mr Harry Hill were some of the principal masters for whom Alfred Day rode ; and Avith all his employers he was popular, and deservedly enenjoyed their confidence and esteem. John Day, of famous memory, trained for many years for Lord G-eorge Bcntinck, but he once committed a sad mistake, unworthy of his general skill and shrewdness. Lord George had a horse which was much fancied both by his lordship and John Day for a big event. One fine morning, after the horse had done a most satisfactory gallop, John Day sat down to his desk to write two letters — one to his lordship, and the other to a celebrated bookmaker at Tattersall's. The letter to his lordship ran thus :— " My Lord — The colt is quite fit, and has done a rattling gallop. I fancy he is bound to win. Pray back him for all you can on Monday next, if you can only get a fair price." The other letter Avas as folloAVS : — " Dear Joe — The long-legged lord vrill be afc Tattersall's on Monday. Lay him all you can, the horse is a
dead one." Unfortunately, Mr Day put the letters in tlie wrong envelopes. The result is obvious. John Day, in his time, trained many celebrated and successful horses for Mr Padwick and Mr Chilly. Among them -were Hermit, winner of the Derby, Andover, winner of the Derby, and Virago, who won twelve races out of thirteen as a three-year old. He also trained a horse named Scythian, who won the Chester Cup. For reasons best known to himself, Day did not intend that Scythian should win the Ch ester Cnp ; and for other reasons, best known to themselves, his two sons, J. and W. Day, were determined that Scythian should, if lie could, win the race. About four days before the contest Mr Padwick received a letter from J. Day, junior, imploring him to come to Stockbridge, and accordingly Mr Padwick went. On his arrival the state of affairs was fully explained to him by the sons, and the resolution was formed to exclude old John from the stables, and to entrust the horse to the care of the two brothers. John Day does not appear to have been at all hurt by this slight upon his honesty, but to have been very much hurt at the prospect of losing all the money he had laid against Scythian ; and the story goes that he was heard to declare outside the stable door that he was a ruined man, and to implore that he might be let into the stable, if it was only for ten minutes. The celebrated old John died early in 1860 ; but his great career in the saddle had terminated fifteen years before, when ho rode Worthless for his excellent master, Mr Wreford, and won a race for him at Ascot. He had not ridden in the Derby since Attila's year, when he had the mount on Coldreuick- — "the great mistake of his training life." Old John's dress was more like that of a dignitary of the Church than a member of the famous family of trainers and jockeys at Danebury. His manner was remarkable for its solemnity, which well became the cravat and surtout which the "Lyndhurst of the Turf " always wore in his later years. This honourable soubriquet he had earned by his habit I of talking sound sense, and no man ever did more to maintain the respectability of his order than old John. Nature had given him a frame capable in an unusual degree of resisting the wear and tear of a jockey's life, and his natural strength was never impaired by excesses of any kind. His father was one of the best trainers in England, and certainly the best in the county of Hants. His mother was, as a judge of a yearling's chances I of training on, only second to her husband; while her medical skill enabled her to perform the duties of veterinary -in-ordinary to the establishment, fn his father's training stables he learned his business. The school was a severe one, but it developed and confirmed habits of temperance and self-denial that served him well in after-life. Hi.s preliminary periods of dressings and exercise canters over, son John made his first appearance in public at a pony race in "Wales, and fell oft" — an ill omen, il might seem, for a successful jockey's career. He married young, and much against his father's wishes, whoso opposition appears to have been based solely on the knowledge that if his son got married his services would lie 10.-t to the stable. The son, however, was resolute. In his stable suit, and with ten j pounds and a wife, he begun the world for himself. His weight was seven stone, and he was, early in his career, lucky enough to "get over" Buckle in a finish at Newmarket. Fresh masters were added to his list, and, knowing his steadiness nnd skill, he could feel that his bread was buttered for life. The Duke of Portland, some of whose horses he had ridden, sent for him. " John Day," said his Grace, " I am about to make you a handsome present for the way you have ridden my horses this week." The young jockey began to thank his Grace in fitting terms. "I am about," interrupted the Duke, "to give you two ten-pound notes." John lived to see the presents given by ducal owners to successful jockeys something very different from the serviceable and timely reward received at the hands of the Duke of Portland. On another occasion, on Newmarket Heath, the Duke, who had his full share of old-fashioned pleasantry, called out to his jockey that lie was a thief. " A thief, my lord Duke !" cried John. "I do not understand your Grace. I never did anything wrong in my life." " Yes, John Day, you have, you stole that race for me this afternoon." A reply that brought young John's cap to the ground. Other masters were the Duke of Graf ton, Lord Berners, Mr Batson, and Lord George Bentinck, for whom he rode Crucifix. Generally admired and respected, old John had the confidence of a host of the patrons of the Turf, and among them of two such excellent sportsmen and statesmen as Lords Derby and Palmerston. Perhaps his distinguishing characteristic was his ability to read character, and to this he owed it that he was never dismissed by a master. If luck was against him, and a change was coming, John always resigned, but not a day too soon. Under the present John Day the prestige of the great stable at Danebury was at its height during the brief Turf career of the luckless Marquis of Hastings. In 1862 the young lord bought several platers, etc ., and so well did Day place them that at the end of 1863 they had practically paid their way and all expenses. In 1864 Day trained Lord Easting's first Derby favourite, The Duke, and he maintains even to this day that the horse would have beaten Gladiateur at Epsom in 1865 had he not j fallen a victim to influenza a week before the race. During the six years Lord Hastings dissipated his immense fortune, John Day trained him a series of extraordinary and sensational winners. Over Ackworth's Cambridgeshire and Lecturer's Cesarewitch fortunes were taken out of the Ring, members of which maintain to this day that Lord Hastings won far more from them than they ever won from him. The downfall of the Marquis was also the downfall of Danebury. After Lady Elizabeth's fatal Derby, at which the mob attempted to tear John Day to pieces, Admiral Rous wrote a terrible letter to the Times, in which he said : — " My belief is that Lady Elizabeth had a rough spin with Athena in March, when the Days discovered she had lost her form — a very common occurrence with fillies which have been severely trained at two years, old ; that when the discovery was made they reversed a commission to back her for the One Thousand Giu'nea Stakes at Newmarket; and they declared that Lord Hastings would not bring her out before the Derby, on which he stood to win a great stake.
I am informed that when Lord Hastings went' to Danebury to see her gallop, they made excuses, for her not to appear. If he had seen her move, the bubble would have burst. But the touters reported that ' she was going like a bird.' Ten pounds will make any horse fly if the trainer wishes it to rise in the market. She has never, heen able to gallop the whole year." Subsequently the Admiral withdrew these remarks, but coming from such a man they had done their work and now Danebury is but a shadow of its former self . Edward Day, the trainer who arrived in Auckland last week, was not at Danebiiry during the Hastings regime. He is the youngest son of old John Day, and the brother of William of that ilk, with whom he trained for many years at Findon. "Whilst there, Day had under his charge the horses owned by the notorious Padwick, at whose door the ruin of Lord Hastings is very generally laid. The old trainer will not speak against Padwick, but though he says little he admits Mr P. was a bad lot. Other details of Edward Day's career have appeared in the daily papers, so we will say .no more on the subject at present, save that it is to be hoped this worthy scion of a notable family of trainers and jockeys may be inchiced to take up his residence amongst us.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TO18810917.2.30
Bibliographic details
Observer, Volume 3, Issue 53, 17 September 1881, Page 14
Word Count
2,072THE DAY FAMILY Observer, Volume 3, Issue 53, 17 September 1881, Page 14
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