COUPS OF THE RACECOURSE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19844, 19 May 1927, Page 4

COUPS OF THE RACECOURSE

FORTUNES WON AND LOST Notable Turf Plunges in Australia Admiral Rous once proposed that any person winning more than £30,000 over one race should forfeit his winnings, and that any member of the English Jockey Club who won more than £50,000 should be expelled. The Admiral’s proposal was made when it was the custom to back horses, and wager in other ways to a greater extent individually than is the case now. Despite the fortunes reported to be won nowadays, many will agree that the heaviest bettors of the present day fall short, in many ways, when compared with the plungers of the past.

During the last decade or so, some colossal wagers have been reported on horse-racing in Australia, and although in many cases there may be a disposition to elaborate the figures, the fact remains that some gilded coups have been brought off.

It is only necessary to refer to the commission worked for Whittier in nearly all the States of the Commonwealth when he won his first Caulfield Cup, while it was claimed that the Heroic—Pillicwinkie Newmarket and Australian Cup double brought in more than £60,000 to the stable. Heroic would have been K the means of landing another large sum had he won the Sydney Cup last year. In the early days big sums were lost over the Adelaide Cup, but the introduction of the tote and the suppression of the bookmakers completely stemmed heavy wagering. In Australia nowadays there is more money wagered in the course of a year than at any previous period of racing. That is due to the great increase in our population, and the introduction of that worst of all systems of wagering—starting price betting. Famous Double Events. Ever since the institution of the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, the Metropolitan and Epsom, the Newmarket and Australian Cup, and the A.J.C. and V.R.C., Derbies, each spring there are sensational reports of the backing of horses, both straight out, in doubles, sometimes trebles, and other ways. In the early days of the Australian turf the principal double was the Metropolitan and Melbourne Cup, only won once by the same horse—Tim Whiffler, in 1867. The establishment of the Caulfield Cup brought about an alteration, and for years past it has been the “Two Cups.” Another favourite old-time double was the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup, and perhaps the heaviest wagering that ever took place in Australia was associated with this double. When Chester Won. In 1877 the late Mr Joseph Thomson, then the leviathian in the ring, laid Mr James White £lO,OOO to £4O about the two Chesters, and Mr S. Stephen £lO,OOO to £2OO about Chester for the Melbourne Cup. Chester duly won, and the wagers were paid over in notes, “under the verandah” in Collins Street, Melbourne. In all, it is said the ringmen lost between £70,000 and £BO,OOO over Chester, but they would have been harder hit had Savanaka won. That he lost by a head, after jumping over a fallen horse, Waxy, tells how lucky were the backers of Chester. Heaviest Australian Wager. In 1882 the wagering was very heavy on the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup, when perhaps the heivest wager ever booked in Australia was £50,000 to £250, laid by Messrs J. J. Miller, E. E. Jones, and O’Brien against Navigator for the Derby and Gudarz for the Cup. Navigator won, while Gudarz finished third to The Assyrian and Stockwell. In the following year the Hon. J. White again gave the ringmen a hard knock, winning the double with Mar-tini-Henry. The commissioner secured £BOOO at 1000’s to 20 in a few minutes at Goyder’s Lounge. Although Mar-tini-Henry hit the ring hard had the second horse, First Water, got home his stable backers alone would have won upwards of £lOO,OOO. There was a syndicate of Adelaide sportsmen directly implicated in the backing of First Water, the most prominent being the late Tom Barnfield. Great Betting Days. They were groat betting days, and the King of the Ring, as the late Joe Thompson was called, never hesitated to lay, no matter what the amount of the wager. An instance is told by Mr S. Griffiths, in his book “Turf and Heath. ’ ’ One day at Caulfield Thompson challenged that grand old man, the late Mr William Pearson, to back his horse Frying Pan for the Victoria Gold Cup. Thinking that the horse was somewhat badly handicapped Mr Pearson was not in a good inood, but as Thompson persisted said at last, “Well, you can book me £20,000 to £2000.” That was a bit of a staggerer, but duly booked and paid, as Frying Pan won, as also were wagers of £lOOO to £2OO, and £5OO level for a place, booked against William Tell when he won the Newmarket Handicap in 1886.

No doubt there are a few private and professional plungers, especially the latter, who lay themselves out to back certain doubles for £20,000 or £30,000 with the idea of laying off, or hedging later. However, they fall short of the “Jubilee Plunger,” or even the Robertsons, who backed Coronet straight out for £50,000 for the Newmarket in 1885, and landed the money. But they went the way of all plungers —dead broke. For a really risk bettor it would be difficult to name one that gambled more heavily than Mr Robert Sievicr. yet in his book of turf memories he tells that “In Australia I never landed more than £lO,OOO, and that came about by saving the v>*nner, and backing it. The largest amount I ever stood to win was £72,000 on the Newmarket and Australian Cup double, in which the first

won by a head and the second was beaten by a neck.” Won £9OOO to £2. That notable sport al.<o tells how in England he was “broke,” and meeting Mr John Corbet, who gave him a couple of sovereigns, won with that small stake £9OOO at a race meeting. So much for luck! Australia has seen a number of young bloods who set out to break the books. All were men of wealth. One, a young Tasmanian, was left over £30,000 in hard cash, yet in a year or two he was broke. He once put £4OOO on a Melbourne Cup candidate which he fancied. The bookmaker with whom he made the bet bought the horse for £l5OO and promptly scratched it, pocketing an easy £2500. At Flemington and Randwick to-day are men who lost thousands in tilting at the ring, but. just knocked off in time, and now enjoy the sport with never more than a modest fiver. England’s Biggest Bookmaker. It is agreed that Mr R. H. Fry was the leviathan of the English turf. In business as a linen draper he lent money to a bookmaker on the understanding that he received some share in the profits of the book. These came as regularly as clockwork. Satisfied that there was money in the business he started on his own account with a capital of £BOO, which he stated in after life, he never had occasion to supplement. In his first week’s wagering he lost £9, but he reckoned it was experience cheaply purchased. It. is said that ithe largest ready-money bet Mr Fry lever laid was £lO,OOO to £5OOO against 'Common for the English St. Leger of 1891. When calling the odds a shabbily dressed man asked the price of Common. /‘l’ll lay out 2 to 1,” said Fry. “To how much?” inquired the stranger. “I’ll take £lO,OOO to £5000.” Naturally Fry was slightly nonplussed, but he could not very well retract, and asked for references, which wore immediately forthcoming, in the form of that best of all securities, Bank of England notes —five of £lOOO each. Some Heavy Wagers. They wagered heavily in England years ago, and especially on the Derby. Davis, the leviathan, lost £lOO.OOO over Teddington. Sir Joseph Hawley had £BO,OOO about Beadsman in 1858. Mr George I’ayne lost £33,000 by .Terry’s win in the St. Leger of 1824, while tne Marquis of Hastings won £75,000 over Lecturer in the Cesarewitch, but lost upward of £103,000 when Hermit won the Derby, of which quite £lOO,OOO went

into the hands of Messrs Naylor and Chaplin. It is said that the heaviest wager ever laid in England was £270,000 against Mildew in the Derby won by Voltiguer. Wealthy Bookmakers. Cases could be mentioned of bookmakers who, in their’day, were noted for wagering in heavy sums, eventually dying iu poverty. The cause was generally due to gambling propensities, or lavish expenditure. Mr Joseph Pickersgill, with whom the late King Edward used to make his bets, left estates valued for probate at £746,549 13s s<l. Mr George Herring, another big Eng lish bookmaker, left £1,371.152, Mr James O’Connor £121,000, Mr Charles Hibbert £10.3,498, Mr T. C. Williams £163.841, while Mr Robert Topping, who made many friends during his visits o [Australia, left £43,125. The late Mr (Joseph Thompson also died a very wealthy man. Thus bookmakers who carried on their calling as a business have shown by their wills what a poor chance the punter has of winning.