The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-09
CROKER WAS JUbILAHT
OVER WHINING DERBY
Was Not Confident OF Victory,
but Felt 0rby Would Be
Near Front.
Special Sporting Service,

Tribune Special Sporting Service,
LONDON, June S.-To representa-,
tive of the Associated Press Mr..
Croker said, speaking in regard to the
derby:
eyes, ] have attained the ambition
of my life-at least the ambition |
have had since | first took up the sport
of racing-and the desire, | believe.
of every owner of racing stable on
this side Of the water, as well as of
many Americans. 1t is great thing
to win the derby, the most famous
race in the calendar Of the racing
world, and how proud | am TO have
accomplished this | have not words 10
express. | am very, very proud, and
very, very happy, especially as Orby
was bred and raised in my stable,
having brought his dam from America
as flly. / cannot say that | felt
sure Of winning, but still / had the
greatest confidence in Orby, and was
certain he would give a good accolnt
of himself and be among tho first
horse, and If all goes we'll he viii add
many laurels 10 this, the greatest CT
all racing honors, Orby is entered for
the Royal Hunt cup at Ascot this
month, as well AS for the ST, Lcgcr.
but ! have not had time to iacile
whether he is TO run or not. | think,
however. that he viii.
AS to what he had given Reih for
winning. Mr., Croker replied:
"That is between Johnny and me.
I would like you TO say. however, that
the report that | offered Maher $500
10 ride Orby is without foundation.
Maher would have ridden for me if he
could. but he had a previous engage.
ment, and | made him no offer of any
kind. -
When asked by the Associated Press
this afternoon about the Newmarket
incident. Mr.. Croker said:
Don t say anything about ii; it
was forgotten long ago
Even before he left the track Mr.
Croker was handed many congratula-
tory kilograms, ars there was an
avalanche of such messages awaiting
secretary had spread them all out un-
opened on n large, square table, the
cablegrams from America on one side
and the kilograms from all parts of
Great Britain on the other. Together
they more than covered the table, and
hundreds more came In during the
evening These messages seemed to
please Mr.. Croker greatly. For the
moment be became a young man again
and he was even more excited than his
niece, Mrs. Bowman. who ran around
the table picking out the messages ad-
dressed to her.
As the pile of American cablegrams
grew, Mr. Croker, looking supremely
happy said TO the Associated Press:
"Please send my thanks and best
wishes TO my American friends. 1t
will take NE weeks to answer all these
personally
Mr.. Croker had invited party Of
friends TO dinner this evening, but it
was late hour before they sat down
TO the table, the race having to he run
over again many times. as friends and
scquaintaDces, including Americans
and Englishmen, came in to offer their
congratulations Sam Darling. the
trainer of Sieve Gallon, and one of
the best Judges of horses in England
said he had only seen Orby once be.
fore the race, but he had formed d
good opinion Of him.
He is a splendid horse, said Mr.
Darling. "and Mr.. Croker is 10 be CON
graduated on owning him. He was
well ridden today. ReitT used good
Judgment in not hanging too closely to
The favorite in the carly stages of the
race Sieve Gallon also is a magniG-
cent horse, but no had not the staying
powers Of Orby.''