THE LATE FRED. ARCHER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2265, 15 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LATE FRED. ARCHER.

The following particulars of the career of thie remarkable jockey, who committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity on the Bth November last, are taken from The Times :—

j Frederick J. Archer was born on the 11th of January, 1557, and was consequently in his 30th year. He was the eon of William Archer, of Cheltenham, who was himself a celebrated cross-roun-try rider, having piloted Little Charley to victory in the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase in 185 S. Ten years later— that is to say, on the 10th of January, IS6B, Archer was apprenticed to Matthew Dawson at Newmarket for the term of five years, and on the 28th of September, 1870, ho rode his first race in public, when he steered Athol Daisy, 6st 51b, to victory in the Nursery Handicap at Chesterfield, winning by a length from Rattlecap and two othere. It is stated, however, that he had previously ridden with success a pony for Mrs Willan in a pony race, and that lady is proud of having given Archer hU first winning mount. The next day after Athol Daisy's victory at Chesterfield Archer rode her in the Hartington Plate, but he could only finish second to Thunderclap, a three-year-old. On the 14th of October ho won the Tay Handicap, at the Caledonian Hunt Meeting, on Lincoln Lisa, 7st 101b, beating a field of five horses; and he figured unsuccessfully in 14 other races the close of the season. He rode 36 times in 1871, and scored three wins in unimportant events. In 1872 he won 25 races out of 136 mounts, and carried off the Cesarewitch on Mr J. RadcliU'sSalvanos, oet. 71b, by four lengths, beating a field of 23 runners, but this horse, though he started at 2 to 1 for the Cambridgeshire and had only 6st. to carry, and was riden by Archer, was unplaced in the last-mentioned race. In 1573 he had a large number of mounts, but his principal success was when he rode Kingcraft in the Great Lancashire Handicap at the Liverpool Autumn Meeting.

It was in 1874 that he first made his mark on a winner of any of the great three-year-old races of the year, and on the death of T. French. Lord Falmouth entrusted him with the riding of his horses. Early in 1874 Archer rode Tomahawk, 6st. 41b, for Mr F, Swindells in the Lincoln Handicap, and won by three lengths from a field of 35 runners. At the Newmarket First Spring Meeting he won the Butthyany Sweepstakes on .Lady Love for Lord Falmouth, and the next day carried off the Two Thousand Guineas on Atlantic, his bodily weight at the time being as nearly as possible 6st., and in the One Thousand Guineas he was third to Apology and La Coureuse on Blanchefleur. He won the Great Stakes on Andred the same year, was third in the Derby on Atlantic to George Frederick and Couronne de Fer, but won the "Woodcote Stakes on Lady Love, the Epson Cup on Thunder, the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood on Modena, and the Lonsdale Plate at York on La Jeunesse, and won the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket, but was beaten by a head by Aventuritre in the Cesarewitch when riding the gelding by Wamba —Truth, and in tqe Liverpool Cup he was second on Thunder to Louise Victoria. In 1875 he won the Newmarket International Handicap on Peeping Tom, but was unplaced in ths Two Thousand Guineas on Garterly Bell to Camballo and Pic Nic, but he rode Spinaway to victory in the One Thousand Guineas, and won the Newmarket Stakes on the colt by Macaroni—Repentance. He won the Great Cheshire Stakes on Thunder, ran third for the Derby on the Repentanoe colt to Calopin and Clarernount, winning the Oaks the next day but one on Spin away, and the Epsom Cup on Modena He was successful in the Chesterfield Stakes at Newmarket on Skylark, in the Steward's Cup at Goodwood on Trappist, and the Liverpool Autumn Cup on Activity. He won the City and Suburban Handicap on Thunder in 187G, but was unplaced in the Two Thousand Guineas on Fetterlock, though he won the Great Cheshire Stakes on Thunder. On Skylark he was beaten off in the Derby, but won the Ascot Gold Vase on Thunder and the Ebor Handicap on Lilian.

In 1877 he won his first Derby on Lord Palinouth's Silvio, and also his first St. Leger on the same co'.t. He was successful in the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom on Mr Gee's Julius Ciusar, and in the Two Thousand Guineas was third on Silvio to Count Chamant and Brown Prince. He finished third in the One Thousand on Lord Palmputh's Lady Golightly to Lord Hartington's Belphicbe and Lady Ronald, but won the Ascot Derby on Silvio. He also steered Jannette to victory in the Clearwell and the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket. In the year IS7B he rodo socond on. Lord

Fiilinouth'B Jannette in the One Thousand to Pilgrimage, but won the Oaks and the St. Leger on the same filly. He was third on Childeric to Sefton and Insulairo in the Derby, but carried off the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot ou Julius C;«sar, the Coronation Stakes on Redwing, and the Fern Hill Stakes on Lady Lumley. At the same meeting he carried off the Rous Memorial Stakes, on Petrarch, and the WorUingoam Stakes on Trappist. At the Newmarket, July Meeting he won the Chesterfield Stakes on Leap Year, and was successful in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on Wheel of Fortune. At the Doncaster September Meetiug ho rode Charibcrt to victory in the Champagne Stakes, and, besides riding Jannette in the St. Leger, he wa9 on her back when she won the Park Hiil Stakes. He also carried off th Jockey Club Cup on Silvio at the Nemarket Houghton Meeting. He was less successful in important races in 1879, though he won the Two Thousand Guineas on Charibert, the One Thousand on Wheel of Fortune, the City and Suburban oh Parole, and at Chester hr> also carried off the Great Cheshire Stakes on Parole. He was on Wheel of Fortune when she won the Prince of Wile's Stakes at Ascot, and would probably have been successful in the St. Leger if she had not broken down. In 1880 he carried off the City and Suburban on Master Kildare after a masterly finish, and the same may be said when he won the Derby on the Duke of Westminster's Bend Or. On the last named horse ho won the Cith and Suburban in 1881, having then been successful in that race five times out of six years, when riding Thunder, Julius Cresar, Parole, Kildare, and Bendor. In the same year he won the Derby on Iroquois, and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot and the St, Leger on the same horse. At Goodwood he won the Richmond and Rous Memorial Stakes on Dutch Oven and the Sussex Stakes on Limestone, and several valuable two-year-old races on Dutch Oven later in the season. He rode Litile Sister in the Stakes at Newmarket in 1882 when she ran dead heat with Executor, and was on Bsau Brummel when he won j the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, but was nnsuccessful on Dutch Oven in the Derby, though he carried off the St Lsger with her when erery one thought she had no chance. He won the Two Thousand Guineas in 1863 on Galliard, but could get no nearer than third to St Blaise and Highhland Chief in the Derby, and Galliarb won the Prince of Wale's Stakes at Ascot, he broke down before the St Leger. In 1884 he rode secondon St Medard to Scot Free in the Two Thousand Guineas, but carried off the Epsom Grand Prize on Cherry, and was second to Busybody on Superba for the Oaks Stakes. He carried off the Hardwicke Stakes at Goodwood on Harvester, and at the Newmarket Second October Meeting won the Middle Park Plate on Melton. At the Newmarket Houghton Meeting he carried off the Criterion Stakes on the same horse and won the Dewhurst Plate on Paradox. In ISBS he won the Two Thousand Guineas on Paradox, and on Melton carried off the Derby by a head from his former mount Paradox, who was ridden by Webb. He carried off the Doncaster St. Leger ou Melton, and the Middle Park and Dewhurst Plates on Minting aud Ormonde. This year he rode Saraband in the Two Thousand Guineas, but was on Ormonde when he won the Derby and St. Leper. He was engaged to ride Melton in the Hardwicke Stakee at Ascot, but Barrett was on the back of the Duke of Westminster's horse in the race. He won the Jockey Club Cup on St. Gatien, and on St. Mirin was second in the Cambridgeshire to The Sailor Prince. Curiously enough, the last race he rode in at Newmarket was the Houghton Stakes, won by Lord Falmouth's Blanchland.

The following are the number of winning, mounts which he had during his career on the turf:—lß7o, 2; 1871, 31872, 25; 1873, 107; 1874, 147; 1875, 172; 187G, 207; 1877, 218; 1878, 229; 1279, 197; 1880, 120; 18S1, 220; 1882, 210; 18S3, 232; 18S4, 241; 1885, 246; ISS3, 170—making a total of 2,746. On the whole he has won the Two Thousand Guineas five times, the One Thousand Guineas twine, tho Derby five times, the Oaka four times, and the St. Lager six times. Archer's great successes were due to his being , a most consuraate judge of pace, and in this respect he was very like Francis Buckle, the celebrated jockey; who took long odds he would win the Derby and Oaks of 1802 upon Tyrant and Scotia, horses which were generally considered to have no chance, and won them both. As it was with Buckle, so it was with Archer; and the patience with which he waited, and the manner with which he seized upon the exact moment to call upon his horse for the supreme effort were the causes of his unparalleled achievements. His nerve was of iron, and he never hesitated to take the inside of the turn at Tattenham Corner, to come out at top speed down the bend of the hill, while more mature jockeys, afraid of their necks, were taking wide bends round the corner and losing lengths and often the race by the manoeuvre. He was married on the 31st of January, 18S3, to Miss Rose Nellie Dawson, eldest daughter of Mr John Dawson, of Warrenhouse, Newmarket, amid the rejoicings of all in the town, and had the misfortune to lose his wife two years ago. She left behind her an infant daughter.