Smyrna times., 1908-09-02
TALES OF THE DERBY
Mysteries of the Famous Classic
Of the English Turf.
a SCHEME THAT WENT WRONG

St@e@N - ~ GundltC EQtSO0e-tVIH
neys Foretold In Dreams.
If st were possible to write the full
and true history of the Derby it would
contain some startling revelations Of
strange dOings behind the scenes of
which the public has little suspicion
and no actual knowledge.
There is, for instance. little doubt
that a very different tale would have
been told of Teddington's Derby but
for the prompt action of his wild,
awake owner, Sir Joseph Hawley
When the Kentish baronet attended
she York spring meeting of 1851 he
was amazed to find the bookmakers
eager TO lay odds to any amount
against his colt, who was looked on as
Il Ceg1ain winner of the blue ribbon =
fen weeks later. Sir Joseph at once
SEEMED mischief, and, leaving the
course, he Travelled as fast as relays
of swift horses could take him to his
training quarters, where he communi.
cate5 MS suspicious to Alec Taylor. his
trainer.
As the result of their deliberations
Te0d1ngtOn was at once removed to
another box, placed under the charge
of different boy and strict watcl
kept over him night and day. What
ever scheme was on foot to disable thu
horse was thus effectually checked.
TeddingtOn soon resumed his place as
first favOrite in the betting and, as ey-
erybody expected, won the Derby with
ease.
Another mystery which has not been
solved to this day is associated with
Leander and that memorable Derby OF
1914. 1t was more than suspected tha.
Leander was fOur-year-old. but ther-
was not sufficient evidence on which
TO base an objection to his running. In
the. race his fetlOck was broken by :.
kick from Running Rein and he wa
efTectually placed hors de combat. Il.
was shot and buried, but when a party
of spOrtsmen who wished to test their
suspicious dug up his body at dead OF
night they found that the head, which
alone could settle the matter. was gone.
Rattan, the second favorite for this
race, was made safe by a cunnin%,,
devised bolus, but who administered
it was never discovered, and, to crown
this Derby as the most shady and
fraudulent on record, Running Rein.
wf1o came in first, was found to Ee
none other than Maccabeus, a four
year-old. and thus an impostOr of tho
first water. But when it became neces-
sary 10 produce the horse for an eX-
animation by experts it was found tha
he, like Leander's telltale head. had
been spirited away.
In connection with Running Rein. by
the way, a dramatic story is told. \
Captain Osborne had backed Orlando
for a very heavy sum, and when Run
ming Rein came in first he was face J
with the alternative of blowing on.
his brains or being declared a default
er He was just on the point of chOOS
ing death rather than dishOnor when {;
note was placed in his hand. Run
ming Rein" ran the missive. whicl
was from a friendly tout. lis an I'M
posfor. and he won't get the Derb-
stakes Buy up all the bets on OrlanGt
you can get, and you will make Il for
tune"
The captain put away his revOlvc"
followed the tout's advice and. inste@t
of providing work for the undertake..
f0und himself E1S,OOO in pocket
Few horses have ever started a h0.
ter favorite for the Derby than Nc
Gnsgor in 1870. SO rosy were hi
chances that odds of 9 to 4 were II:
On him to an enormous amount. a.
the money was considered as good
VxOu. To the CONSERVATION. hOwevC-
of his hackers, he seemed unable {;
move freely in the race and finished ;
bad fourth behind horses who wer'
NOT in the same century with him.
There was no doubt whatever tha
NIacgregor had been drugged, but vi.
the rascal was who did the dastar.l
trick is as much mystery today as j
was at the time.
Vi is Of this race that the follOwir.
remarkable story is told: During l.
night before the race a jockey Gale,
Swift saw the finish of the Derby il
dream. He saw Kingcraft. which /
recognized. pass the post winner J.
n length and a half, followed by
dan, brown horse which he could DC
identify and with Macgregor, the fi
vor5fe, bad fourth. In spite Of th
1eermg of his friends. to whom he tol
6he story, he backed Kingcraft 10
every sovereign be could raise and
his delight as to the disgust Of IL
seofTers. he saw his dream exactly II
prCg1ueed-the favorite badly Deate
and the despised Kingcraft winning
s1naJI fortune for him.
Even more remarkable is story
that great Derby race of 1862, won !
the despised outsider Caractacus' II
den by Parsons. the stable lad. \
Though Caractacus was so Daui
fhought Of that Jim Goater poh
plank refused to ride him and ODDS