New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-18
IN DEFENCE OF FRED ARCHER
REILLY. 70 HEcE-T ATTACH ON THE FAMOUS
JOCKEY.
To fha Rh1tor OF The Trt6Mne.

JOCKEY.
TO tho Ea1tor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The article referring to Fred Archer's ridine
Of Ga,ard in the Derby by ST. Dlaise lately pub
lished In The Philadelphia Times" and reprinted in
Mondays Tribune, is remarkable for It's bRnders
Deferring for the moment reference to the writer's
attack on the Jockey, will note two material errors
into which he falls in his attempt TO describe the
finish of the race He names Cannon the rider Of
st. Blsise. a Circumstance which would be highly
interesting to Charles Wood who, In common with he
rest Of the British and American sporting public. labors
under the bsllucinaton that he steered ST. Bla!se 70
victory The writer then tells how st. Blaise caught
Highland Chief in the last stride, and won BY shor;
head when. In reality II was Highland Chief who I'M
successfully tried TO catch 81. Blaise These how.
ever, merely minor points, compared with tie
aspersons cast on poor Arch"rs integrity.
That St. Blaise lucky to win the Derby. and that
he owed his victory mainly to the three four lengths
stolen by Wood in the descent to Tateuhau Corner,
is believe. a fact generally admitted by English
racing authorities, but that he would under any cir
cumstanceS have been beaten by Galiad IS altogether
out Of the question. Galllards failure TO win was
due solely to his inability as heavy topped horse. 10
negotiate the EPSON hill. and he beaten imme-
diaely after the field had turned into the straight for
home. Wood, on st. BlaiSe left with thG lcai
and appeared to be winning cas- ", when. az II from
mere flashed alongside, and then, amid frantic
yens from hundred thousand throats, St. BlaBe and
Highland Chief ran home, locked together. passing
the Judges box so nearly level that until the MN.
bers were seen, no one able TO tell for certain
which horso had won and In the half minutes Interval
between the finish OF the and the hosting Of the
numbers many thousands Of pounds changed hands over
the result The Judge said that st. BaIse was first
by neck, but Fred Webb, who rode Highland Chief
IA hat he bat Der3,r ,Ion
which Is shared by many who wcre present. Wood
himself was at first Of webbs opinion. When &C.
e0rding TO custom, mounted policeman led ST. DIalse
bseh TO scale, Wood exclaimed:
aYou have come for the wrong horse Webb has
Won
Except for a few vague whimpers from some
q Gslisrd's backers, no shadow Of suspicion
sver rested Archer with regard to
riding In this or any other race. Lord
!amouths outspokcn ard STRAIGHTFORWARD disposition
= known from ono end Of England to tbs other and
nth the sporting press and public would have BEEN
ssekly made aware Of the fact Ms lord;hIp's rsa'
Sam. to the TUT three, years later Archer again
ssm. being on Blsnohland At the Houshton meet.
hs me 4 isf pS.d.,ph, rlm.ssD authority accuse.
Archer Of having deIberacly prevented Tiny. White
ION D Winning the city ana suburban Of iss4 On
bitterly disappointed at the result Of that race and
behaved that be could have won is true, but IT is
also true that Archers interference with White was
unnttntional and unavoidable. When White
rsched the weighing room be sat down
On stool and Sobbed bitterly. archer.
hl OF sorrow for the lad, went up 10 him
and explained how he himself had been so hemmcd
q - 70 be unable to make way for Richmond and
u was afterward stated, apparently good authority.
hat he gave White q substantial sum out Of his own
poeket recompense for the loss Of the 900 pounds
promised by Walton in case Richmond won. II 81.
1890 bad never been in Richmonds way the result
xxond have been unchanged ThebaIs and Quick
~ IA everything beaten in the homestretcb and
ass named scored very easy half length victory
.. nesa reiersng to the Cambrdgeshire Of 1885 Tho
ssun inter speaks OF Sailor Prince, ore OF the most
ss% ny saeied horses in The race and which was vas
Geo. 49, .ms pounds, sbal1ngs ana pence by tho
aesVised outsider presumably because his starting
49, ~ hsurned at % TO /. Archer did not stand 10
hs csovoO or anything near that sum on st. Mfn.
nofer ambitious to win the race for the races
AZ sxas; A. Tie top OF the Criterion Hill all the
ssii eiSsIs CARTON, the great Melton st. Artn and
cssiot fnnoe were settled. ST. Mlrin, on tho top
SNvHInso' nets me rails. had q slight lead OF Melton
ssSssn IN Turn, was haKlength IN front OF Sailor
1870 snie carton, In The centre OF the course. was
10Y cropping back Melton under tho crIsher 0f
swne ~ pounds. was not done with until the last
scHvS rs reached where sailor Prince shot out and
sscsssed et Mirin White did not, a. alleged out1tde
- 70 hsd slightly the better Of the desperate
~ 49, hsnt on the post, when st. Mirn IA
ever % slightly, but 1t sunicod TO enable