The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-03-06
Reason craganOur Was Disquali.
fed and Jockey Was Not
Are Now Revealed.

Few turf secrets have been more sen.
sational and better kept than the inside
story Of why c, Bower Ismay's remark.
able horse, Craganour, was disqualified
at Epson last Derby Day, after win
ming England Is world famous race, and
Of why its American jockey, johnny
Reifr, received no official censure for
the humping and fouling that was al.
legged by the stewards of the jockey
Club. .atr
| Retribution for Ismay brought about
by those in high places, il has been told
here, was the motive for the unprece.
dented action-retributlon sharp and
singing, byt without public turf
scandal.
craganour had been the Derby favor.
lite all the Winter, was backed all over
the world--a telegraph operator in New
York drew Craganour in $4,000
sweepstakes, and was rich for few
minutes--and went TO the post a red
hot first choice. Consequently many
were the press comments upon, and
plentiful the pull.c ratings against the
stewards peremptory disqualification.
But nobody looked beneath its surface
The strange instance has been the
chief subject Of so many New Year turf
reviews that once again IL has become
tue topic Of the moment in sporting
circles throughout Europe. Otherwise
the sensational story Behind il and the
explanation that Johnny Reiff's escape
from the heavy.handed punishment he
Is supposed to have deserved, mi vht
never have been related by one close
70 parsonage Of high standing on the
French turf.
At the beginning c. Bower Ismay WIS
amusing himself with stable of
steeple-chasers and hurdle racers be.
tween hat-raeing seasons, and three
years ago some astonishing reversals of
form by these horses attracted notice
Winter before last the same thing hap.
peued. last Winter the form Of Is
mays jumpers was so IN and out that
Il became scandal aud eliminated in
their trainer and ss-country Jockey
being ruled of the turf early last year.
That much is matter Of public knowl
edge .hs Z,
Perhaps one Of the men ruled of
loosened his tongue. At any rate some
further information, privately reached
the turf authorities, who sat tight and
said nothing. 80 80
Last year the fiat racing season in
England opened on Easter Monday, aud
on April 3 the Derby favorite, Ismay's
Craganour, which repeatedly had "tow.
roFed 7" the best twp-year-olds in 1912,
was saddled at Liverpool for the Union
Jack Stakes of $4,000, it being mile
race.
As these was nothing in the field OF
fonr that could make him gallop, Crag-
amour was topheavy favorite. He was
teaten. At tine end of the month Crag
amour came out at Newmarket. Again |
tho race was mile, but the stakes
were $4,000. Craganour s. form rever.
sci was masterpiece. He ran and won
a smashing race. a&
Still the stewards said nothing, so
far as the public knew, although they
would have been within precedent had |
they suggested 70 the owner that he |
sell his Derby favorite and givelup rae.
ing for time. |1
A few weeks later Ismay's colt won
the Derby, and great was the joy Of
the betting public.
No complaint was made ty any itek. |
ey. No objection was lodged by any |
owner or trainer. The stewards Just
stepped in and calmly took the Derby |
away from Ismay whit telling the pub. |
lac that Craganour was disqualified for
fouling and bum. ing.
Immediately up went a public demand |
to know why the American Jockey |
went unpublished, if Craganour really |
had fouled Aboyeur. That demand has |
been reiterated frequently, Ii has
sprung up again. Meanwhile the stew
ards sit tight and say nothing. Tx.
The answer, as told me, is that there
was nothing for which TO punish John.
ny Reif. The stewards were hitting |
over his head. -, -.
There WIS an aftermath. Ismay drew |
two cards aud told the stewards he
would sue for an appeal. The stewards !,
stood pat and laid their cards upon the |
table. lsmay's appeal went into the I
discard. The Derby stakes, $50 600, |
were paid to Aboyeur s owner.
Ismay has had his 'fcomelaclt,
though Both Craganour and Aboyeur
one actually and the other officially |
Derby winner for 1918, are sons Of the |
great sire Desmond, the big W innings
OF whose get have placed his name |
easily first in the list of successful sire !. |
Desmond is dead, 1t was Anticipated |
his best sons would be Invaluable for
the future of the British Thoroughbred. |
Now comes ''la reyanche.p
ismay sold Graganour TO 90 to Ar
genuine Republic on condition that the
colt never should race again in the /
British Isles nor be used in the stud
outside of South America. Since then
there has appeared a buyer for Alloy.
eur, which also has been taken out of |
England and hustled off to Russia.