THE ENGLISH DERBY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1010, 15 July 1909, Page 5

THE ENGLISH DERBY.

In the course of some interesting remin:'scences of the Derby, an English writer says:—lf a hundred veteran sportsmen were gathered together at a symposium to discuss which is the best Derby winner, the various

opinions would be interesting and conflicting. When Plenipotentiary, the favourite, beat 22 opponents in a canter by two lengths in the blue riband of 1834, it was thought by the cogniscenti that such a horse had never been seen on a racecourse before, and never would be again. The value of horses in those days was nothing like so great as it is at the present time, but an offer of £5OOO down was made for Plenipotentiary, and a further £lOOO a year so long as he lived, but this was refused. The opinion of such an eminent authority as John Porter, the famous trainer of so many Derby winners, in this connection is extremely interesting and valuable. The ex-master of Kingsclere says: “I think Ormonde was absolutely the best horse that ever won the Derby. I do not think we have ever seen his equal.” Mr. Henry Chaplin struck what can be termed a highly auriferous mine when he bought Hermit as a yearling for 1000 guineas, for that speculation panned into something like £250,000.