REMARKABLE WAGERS RECALLED.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1509, 27 March 1919, Page 9

REMARKABLE WAGERS RECALLED.

In an interesting article entitled “Punters and Plungers,” “Smith’s Weekly,” a bright and readable journal, which made its first appearance in Sydney this month, the writer recalls a remarkable wager which was made in England in 1867. The place was Long’s Hotel in London. Captain Machell, the trainer of Hermit, had great faith in his horse’s powers, and in spite of the animal having broken a blood-vessel, he still persisted in the hope that Hermit would win. On the night in question he entered Long’s Hotel, and after listening to the various wagers being made he managed to back Hermit to win him £45,000. When it leaked out what a large sum the trainer had taken about his horse’s chance, things became very lively, and in the middle of the excitement the Duke of Hamilton entered the room. When he heard the news he walked up to Machell and said, “You think you know how to bet, do you? Well, I’ll show you what betting is; I’ll lay you £30,000 to £lOOO against this horse of yours; I will lay it twice, thrice, four times, five times; yes, I will lay it to you six times: £lBO,OOO to £6000.’ Machell did not turn a hair, but quietly said, “I will take your £lBO,OOO to £6000,” and the bet was made and booked. This then, perhaps, is the biggest bet ever made between two individuals, but it had a tame ending. Hamilton got cold feet over the matter, and offered •Machell a large sum to cancel the bet; the Captain would not do so at first, but later on he struck the wager out, as bad luck would have it, for Hermit won the Derby. This was the celebrated Derby that ruined the Marquis of Hastings, for he lost £103,000 over the race. ‘At the time he was only 25 years of age. He was a born plunger, for, not content with losing the above sum, he tried to get some of the money back by losing £50,000 on the Middle Park Plate, and that about settled him. Two other men who lived in the first half of the eighteenth century were famous for their high bets. The one was Lord George Bentinck, and the other the fourth Earl of Glasgow. This pair frequently made bets of the most extraordinary kind between themselves; and on one occasion when Bentinck dropped in at Crockford’s to get some money on his horse, Gaper, who was running in the Derby of 1843, he enquired if anyone was willing to lay him Anything. “Yes,” replied Glasgow. “I want a fair amount,” retorted Bentinck. “You may have £90,000 to £30,000,” was the calm reply of Glasgow.

Surely these sums are never layed now. It is generally considered that more money has been won and lost on the English Derby than on any other race. John Gully, at first a pugilist, afterwards the keeper of a publichouse in London, and later on a member of Parliament, is credited with winning £300,000 when his own horse, Andover, won the Derby in 1854, and Count Lagrange won £lOO,OOO when his horse, Gladiateur, was successful in the same race.

When Tod Sloane first visited England there followed him a gang of punters, who put enormous sums of money on his mounts, and when he rode in a weight-for : age race it was not an uncommon thing for one of the punters to back Sloan’s mount, putting £20,000 on it.