The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-16
"rHE DERBY DAY."
AN INTERESTING CHAPTER ABOUT "THE DERBY
j AND MEN WHO HAvE LOST Oh WON IT.

What is called ''The Derby Day.; held as
great holiday by the Londoners, is invariably
the second day "wednesday Of the grand
spring races which take place at EPSON, in
Surrey, every May in the week succeeding
Trim ity Sunday. On this second day the ia
nous Derby stakes, instituted in the year 1850
by the twelfth Earl Of Derby, grandfather of
ssthe Rupert Of debate, ,"who lately resigned the
Office of Prime Minister Of England, are always
run for, the best horses being entered for the
prize. For the first Derby there were thirty
six subscribers at ESQ each, with EOS forfeit
in case of non-starters but the number
Of subscribers is now so large that the value
Of the stakes is between s550O and $1,000
that is from sS2,5o0 to ss5,0O0 in gold.
The horses are ridden in saddle, by trained,
lightweight jockeys, who generally act fair to-
ward their employsrs-it being their interest
to be honest. For instance, two or three
years ago, when French noble Count de La
grange) won the Derby by the excellent rnn-
ring OF mis- horse Gladiateur, he made his
Jockey present Of one Thousand pounds. The
Derby course at EPSON is only q mile and a
half in it's circuit, and the shortest time that
this was run over was in 1861, then being tw"
minutes, forty-three seconds. On "the Derby
Day." according to a custom which has pre-
vailed for a long period, both HOUSES of Par
lament do not sit. In fact, it would seem as
if, on that day, London, voluntarily and stimuli
taneously, had turned its inhabitants out of
doors, and discharged them en- masse upon
EPSON Downs, by means of coaches, chariots,
cabs, four-in-hand "drags," vans, wagons,
donkey carts, besides tens Of thousands who
travel thither on horseback, on foot, and by
railroad. It has beer estimated that nearly q
million Of persons have been present at the
running for "the Derby "-the English call it
{" the Darby'') on some occasions. Our latest
mail accounts give the following details Of the
result OF the "Derby Day" of 1868:
THE DERBY DAY.
The weather was magnificent, and the at
tendance might have been numbered by hum
dreds Of thousands. The parade is very beau
tiful. Past the stand in single file go eighteen
Of the finest horses in England, every one Of
which is plainly the worse for his last years
racing. II anybody doubts it, let him wait two
in his first dozen strides with the tendons OF
his off foreleg snapped. Let him wait then, and
two more will have broken down, and there are
three horses out Of eighteen ruined In one race.
They are simply raced 80 hard at two years
old, and trained 80 fine at three that it is 9
chance whether they are barely fit to do liked
task, or are destroyed in attempting it.
The shining silk jackets Of the jockeys are
not handsome enough to outweigh the pain OF
seeipg these noble horses limp on three legs
off the course. They are Pace, Samson and
Franchise, neither of whom was supposed to
have chance Of winning. At the head OF the
procession came Sir Joseph Hawley's three
horses, with jockeys all in cherry silk. Wells
Fordham, if indeed to him, since Wells has
won two Derbys, and is about to win another.
while Fordham, lucky in every other race, is
unlucky in this. It is said that Sir Joseph
Hawley would win fortune with either Rosi-
crucian or Green Sleeve, and nothing with
Blue Gown. Yet he runs the latter because
the public have backed him heavily, and, IL this
be true, it is piece Of fair dealing, or even OF
generous sentiment in such striking contrast
with the usual practices Of the turf that it de-
serves honorable mention.
Lady Elizabeth is mare so uncertain IN
temper that she is not saddled with the rest,
nor brought out with them for exhibition. She
is the miracle Of horse flesh for whom the
Derby has so long been sure thing, ana VINO
at one time has been backed even against the
field, though now the odds Of seven to four are
laid against her. She carries Cesar ana hs.
fortunes. She is Tor is mott to redeem tne M iose
revenues and mortgaged estates OF the Mar
auis Of Hastings, and make that young prod1-
gal once more the idol and the banker OF the
Ring. But her ladyship is uniuckly vi en-,