Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-08
HORSE TRAINERS TEMPTATIONS
Bride Of $50, 900 That Was offered
to Scratch q Favorite.
From Tit-RItE.


Perhaps the largest bride ever offered
occurred when Ballantrae won a big back
end handicap some four years ago. The
horses victory took an immense sum out
of the ring, but two days before the race
patron Of the stable was offered E1O.OOO
if he would persuade the ultimate win
ner's owner to scratch his horse. 1t is
superfuous to add that this underhand
proposition met with no success where
upon the trainer was next approached
with. happily. the same result.
Attempts to mobile" the favorite of a
classic race or big handicap are still COM
mon. Last year the trainer OF a fancied
candidate for the Derby received a letter
to the effect that $4,000 would be paid
him II he undertook to interfere with his
horses preparation 80 that It could under
no circumstances be seen al the starting
post. Naturally such a barefaced pro-
posal was treated with utter contempt.
but a few mornings afterward. on one OF
the gallops on Newmarket Hearth. where
this horse took his daily exercise. litter
of broken glass was laid. Happily this
was discovered by a stable boy before ex-
ercise. otherwise the horse would have
been severely famed.
The poisoning of Orme. who was conf
IDENTIFY expected to win the Derby some
years ago. was one Of those turf mys-
teries which will probably always remain
unsolved. but an owner OF horses closely
connected with the stable informed the
writer that there was little doubt that the
agent OF some firm of bookmakers who
stood to lose a colossal sum by Ormes
victory had by heavy brides got at an
inmate of the stable and induced him-or
her. as the case may be-to perpetrate the
deed.
The ingenious methods by which out
siders endeavor to worm themselves into
a trainers confidence would seem worthy
of q better cause. Thus the famous
trainer, Matthew Dawson. was wont to
tell many humorous stories of attempts
made to gain his trust. On one occasion
for instance. a meek little parson took up
his residence In some quiet lodgings near
the stables, and every morning betook
himself to the Heath, as" he said. his
doctor had informed him that the air
there was the most bracing in the world
for invalids.' Mile after mile the
worthy divine would walk. apparently
taking not the least interest in the race
horses or indeed In racing matters at ALL
One morning. however. after he had
been there fortnight. the clergyman
approached the string of horses and
meekly asked their trainer IL he might
look over the stables one day. because. .
he added. The had heard the residence of
a thoroughbred was almost as luxurious
any palace This request was met
with a polite refusal. whereat the clerical
visitor seemed intensely disappointed and
expressed a hope that he might do so, at
any rate. on some future occasion.
This proposal was also refused, but
some two nights later the head lad OF the
stable caught the clergyman scrambling
over the wall Of the stable yard after the
horses had been locked up for the night.
and It afterward transpired that he was
not a clergyman at all. but was the
agent Of a clique OF professional hackers
who stood to lose heavily by the victory
Of this particular horse. Instead of hand
ing over the culprit to the law the
trainer adopted the simple device Of leav-
ing him TO the tender mereies OF the
stable boys. who quietly but firmly
stripped him Of his clerical garments and
deposited him in the nearest horse pond.