The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-03
TALES OF THE DERBY
Some of the Winners That Were
Not Liked as Youngsters.
BOUGHT FOR A MERE TRIFLE.
Little Wonder, Who Carried OF the
Blue Ribbon In 1910, Cost His Own
er Only $325-Ths Successes Of VOL
o tigeur and Thormanby.


er Only $325-Ths Successes Of Vol
q tiseur and Thormanby.
Stories of Derby winners having
been sold as youngsters for exceed
ingly small sums are fairly numerous,
and without going too far back into
the recesses Of the past at least two
instances can be cited of animals des-
tined ultimately to win the blue rib
bon of the turf which as yearlings
no one thought good enough to buy.
Voltigeur was one of these, and the
other was Thormanby.
Voltigeur was bred by Robert Ste
phenson in 1S47 and as yearling was
sent up to be sold at the Doncaster
sales, reserve price of $1,75O being
placed on him. Not a man was found
to bid that much for him; consequently
he was withdrawn.
In all proba bility he would have re-
manned unsold had not Williamson, a
relative by marriage of Lord Zetland,
seen him and, having taken a fancy to
him, finally persuaded his lordship to
buy him.
His Judgment was triumphantly vim
dictated, for not only did Voltigeur win
the Derby and st. Leger, but he sue
ceeded in establishing a line Of thor
oughbreds which is at present domi-
nant on the English turf and likely to
remain so for some time to come.
Thormanby, too. was sent up to be
disposed at the Doncaster and. like
voltigeur, did not reach a nominal re-
serve. DESTROYS of getting rid Of him,
however. Plummer, his breeder. re-
quested his famous trainer, Matt Daw-
son, to come and have a thorough look
at him.
This Dawson did and, perceiving at
a glance good points about him. which
no one else apparently had noticed.
bought him for Merry. his patron.
Strange enough, Dawson gave the
same figure for Thormanby as that
paid for voltigeur.
AS a two-year-old Thormanby ran
fourteen times and out Of this number
scored nine wins, and in the Derby of
the following year he beat a field of
thirty. 1t was said that the race net
ted Merry the nice sum of 100000.
The cheapest horse that ever won
the Derby was Little Wonder, which
was successful in 1910, for he cost his
owner. Robertson. the meager sum of
only 1925.
Spaniel. too. winner of the race in
1881, was picked up for very small
sum, Lord Egerton, his breeder. letting
him go for $3.50.
Pyrrhus j.. which won in 1916, was
purchased by John Day. the noted
trainer, as a yearling at Doncaster
Gully. the pugilist. taking a half in.
terest in him.
ran. and seemingly his abilities were
then of an unknown quantity, for at
the end Of the season Day agreed to
sell his half share in him to Gully for
$500. Days chagrin at his subsequent
victory in the Derby was very great.
Teddington, the winner Of 1851. was
bred by q blacksmith. who sold him
as a foal. together with his dam. to
Sir Joseph Hawley for $3.50 and a
further $1,000 if he won the Derby.
Sir Joseph and his confederate. Mas.
sey Stanhope, to whom the horse real
ly belonged. profited largely over the
; success. and the jockey. Marson, who
rode the horse. received $4,000 as a
token of victory. which in those days
was unprecedented
Sainfoin, which carried the colors o!
Sir James Miller to the front, was an
exceptionally fortunate purchase bJ
John Porter. the trainer. He bough,
the colt out Of the Hampton Court LOT
of yearlings in 1883 for the very rea.
sonable price Of s.. TO. Sir Robert Oar
dine taking q half interest.in hiua