SPEARMINT AND THE DERBY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 854, 19 July 1906, Page 9

SPEARMINT AND THE DERBY.

The “ Special Commissioner” of the London “Sportsman” says: “Clearly it is almost a case for sackcloth and ashes. With the record of Spearmint’s victory confronting me, I can do no more than humble myself. In opposing Major Loder’s colt I acted as I thought, in accord with the dictates of common sense. But this Derby has all through the piece been governed by mysterious influences. I candidly admit that the result of the contest astounded me. When the story of the Derby of 1906 is read by succeeding generations, it will seem like a fairy tale. During the winter, Admiral Crichton was supposed to be the Clarehaven Lodge Derby champion, but he did not flourish, and dropped out of the calculations. Then came Flair, whose easy victory in the One Thousand proved that she more than retained the splendid form she displayed in the autumn, and convinced the majority of people that the Derby was at her mercy. The next we hear is that she has broken down, and been withdrawn from the great Epsom race. Universal sympathy is expressed for those associated with the stable. A few days pass, and then we are told, one fine morning that another Derby winner has been unearthed from the same establishment. Are there regiments of them at Clarehaven Lodge ? It appeared to some of us that the pill we were asked to swallow was rather too liberally sugared. The reports as to what Spearmint could do when pitted against Pretty Polly were unbelievable. The colt’s two-year-old form gave one no encouragement. Indeed, the whole of the circumstances were of such a character that one felt entirely justified in assuming the role of a sceptic. And now the impossible has come to pass. Well, well, well ! It only shows what a wonderful game racing is. Those who went on to the housetops and proclaimed Spearmint as the winner of the Derby are entitled to all the credit and personal satisfaction they derive from the verification of their prophecy. We who took a contrary view will, no doubt, still be able to rub along, even though we are humbled for the time being. As I left the course a motor car passed me with pieces of paper inside the two headlamps. On them were printed the words, “ Keep smiling.” Not bad advice either. There are several features about the race worth noting. Perhaps the most interesting is the fact that the time was as much as 2 3-ssec inside the record set up by Cicero a year ago. The figures are really astonishing, even when we take into consideration the very favourable conditions that prevailed. In distance, they are equivalent to about 45 yards, so that half the competitors beat the previous record ! That, of course, disposes of the notion that the time makes Spearmint a wonder. All the same, I think it also shows that our three-year-olds are not so bad as they have been painted. Another point worthy of mention is the one that during the last six years the Derby winner has five times been ridden by an American. Lester Reiff began the sequence on Volodyovski, Martin continued in on Ard Patrick, and Maher has maintained the run on Rock Sand, Cicero, and now Spearmint. The name of Kempton Cannon alone intervenes. Then, to return to Spearmint, we find that Major Loder bought him as a yearling at Doncaster for 300 guineas ! He was one of the contingent sent up for sale by Sir Tatton Sykes. A member of the sporting press had taken a fancy to him, and bid up to 280 guineas, and no wonder he was lamenting his luck yesterday afternoon. But when there is any luck about, Major Eustace Loder generally seems to be on hand. Fortune has heaped favours upon him ever since he began to own racehorses. I do not mean to say that his success is entirely due to luck. Nothing of the kind; good judgment has played a big part in the scheme. This was shown when he sent his horses to be trained by Mr. Gilpin after Huggins had returned to America. Mr. Gilpin’s method of preparing his horses may not always be orthodox, but there is no gainsaying that they are effective. Last season the stable’s record showed that the value of the stakes won was £27,132. It will not be surprising if that figure is exceeded this year.