Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-17
QUEER PATRON OF THE TURF
Pugilist Who Won the Derby and
Oaks and Became an M. P.
eULLY's REMARKABLE CAREER
Held worlds Prise Rims Title, RE
tired and Won Derby with Pyr-
rims 7 aud Oaks with
Mendicant.

Mendicsnt.
Lord Rosebery was said to have at
tanned the great ambition of his life a few
years ago when he won the Derby, be.
came prime minister and married one OF
the richest and handsomest women in Eng
land. II was a remarkable achievement,
but the British turf from its long list of
queer patrons and odd characters supplies
q case that easily outshines that OF the
scion OF the house of Primrose. 1t Is that
of a man born in abiect poverty, but who
at the age of "a was prize ring champion
of the world and in 1886 won the Derby
with Pyrrhus and the oaks with Mendi-
can't, and up to that time was the first
owner to score in both classics.
This was John Gully, who, after he had
reaped all the honor Of the ring and the
turf represented Pontefract I'm the first
Reform Parliament. In fact, Gully might
be put down as the Nestor Of the English
turf, and at least his life tudy furnishes
the greatest romance of racine. It is now
unknown whether or not he married a
great beauty or whether he married at all,
but he lived to a great age, His varied
career is positive proof that cold matter
Of fact will always outshine the most in
geuious fiction. What poor boxer today
would dare say he would after winning
the worlds championship own a Derby
winner, and when the turf's glitter failed
to attract him he would sit among the
great legislators OF the land?
job Gully was the son Of very poor
parents and first saw the light at Bristol
IL tb~ 80 1904 H,.t - L.. -..aH.-a ..--s
estate was a picture Of muscular develop
ment. Those were the golden days Of the
prize ring in England, when even the
gladiator's art received the patronage Of
royalty. and Gully's friends advised him
to go in and try for some of the laurels.
Around the years Of 20 he had three am
bitions-to win the championship OF the
prize ring, to own a Derby winner and to
obtain a seat in Parliament.
Gully had no real laundering after the
life of a prize fighter, but he wanted the
championship, and his ambition was full
filled, for at the dawn of the nineteenth
century he was champion of England, and
the title then carried with IT the world's
championship. Gully held the belt ana
the cup emblematic OF the championship
for a few years. but in 1908 he turned both
over to Tom Crib, saying he was through
with the squared circle forever. Ali this
time he was possessed Of a passion for
racing and was the most constant visitor
at the big race meets, where his keen
methods OF calculation in betting were well
known.
On account of his fame as a pugiIist
he was on friendly terms with most Of
the big racing men, who soon found out
that he had other abilities than those
OF smuggling. Among Gully's admirers
were Lord Foley. the Marquis of Queens
berry, Lord Abingdon, Colonel Mellish, Pitt
and Fox. He began to act as betting
commissioner for them, and as betting
was heavy in those days and bookmakers
few, Gully soon found himself with a
fat sum to his credit Then he began to
strike out for himself, and buying a few
horses got a man named Sykes to train
them at Nation. Not content with NOV
ing along on a small scale he bought
the Derby winner MameluRe from Lord
JersG in 1897. The price paid was a pretty
stiff one in those days, the figure being
$4,000. The bargain was struck the
first day Of the Ascot meeting, and one
Of the conditions was that the sale should
not be made known for twenty-four
hours.
Gully wanted to do some betting, and
the wagers he did make showed that he
was possessed of an unlimited amount
OF nerve. He bet $4,000 that Mameluke
would beat ten different horses and $50, 900
more that the horse would beat nine
different horses. Matilda. the winner of
the race, figured In both patches, so that
Gulley lost both bets. He had another bet
OF $4,000 to $4,000 that Mameluke would
win, so his total loss in the one event was
$4,000, but II did not shake the pluck Of
the ex-prize fighter, for an instant The
story about Mameluke is interesting, for
the horse subsequently came to America.
Because he had won the Derby Name
luke was first favorite for the st. Leger,
and he should have won II, bnt he was
jostled so badly at the start and pocketed
In the race 70 that Matilda beat him
again. Gully lost a lot of money, but
still he had absolute faith In tho superb
GRITTY OF his horse. and he offered Matiida's
owner to give her seven pounds for a
special race, but the challenge was re-
fused. As a four-year-Old Mameluke won
back all he lost for Gully and a great
deal more to boot. One of the best races
was the oatlands, then one of the heaviest
betting races of the English turf. and it is