The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-21
ENGLISH FANS DISAPPOINTED OVER OUTCOME OF BIG RACE
Ben Irish Has Interesting Career In World Of Race Tracks And Thoroughbred Horses
By CHARLES N'CANN

LONDON, Oct. 2U.-It was huge and disappointed crowd that stood in Trafalgar squore tonight and got the electric flash that Papyrus. English Derby winner and first contestant in a match of horse legs between the United States and America, had fol- lowed the heels of zev across the finish 1ine at Belmont park.
 Extras issued by the newspapers to meet the demands of a tremendous interest that had been worked up over the race during the last few days confirmed the bad news.
 Soon afterward. his health such that he could not go to America to see the race, a good sport" a cool taciturn, well known Phlegmatic Englishman, Ben Irish. owner of Papyrus, heard the results of the race without great emotion.
 He was content to bask in the joy the sportsmanship and kindness of the Americans had given lim on this, tho first occasion of an international race between respective Derby. win ners in America and England. He , believes such races in the future will do much to cement the relations be- tween the two countries and rejoices that his horse happened to the first to enter in such race.
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 lft9hH IneOTys
 Irish always has gone on the theory that horse-racing is the combination of "a little judgment and a lot of luck" He won the English Derby by that formula, he says and had Papy- rus beaten Zev, that would have been his explanation.
 His simple watch word, "A little judgment and lot of luck," is prob ably an understatement. Either Tr@fc fnr a Judgment as he admits, or he Is blessed with more luck than any mortal who ever played the English turf For Irish is famed in this country as picker of winners.
 It is on record that he picked and backed thirteen successive winners of the Cesarewitch. the great Don caster race over two and a quarter miles, the longest race In England. And, what's more, he backed them all at long price.
 Irish is a canny North h-Country- man." very wary of mind. It was typical of him when he explained that "cables wern't binding and an arrang ements for Papyrus ven ture in America could not be started until the agreem ent was received by mail, signed Sande."
 Thirty years ago Irish was appren- tice to a draper up in Huntingdon shire A draper would be a dry goods merchant in America. But young Irish didn't care for draping,, and took up the family calling of farming.
 In 1917 he became a race horse owner, but his name was little known on the English turf until he leaped into fame in 1921 by winning the Ascot gold cup with Periostwm. It was the first time in the more than l-4 4ak~ Af the cup had graced a farmers side board.
 Irish's Start.
 It was in the same year that Irish drawing on "a little judgment and a lot of luck" decided that he would set abolt winning the greatest or all racing classics, the Dedby. so he picked out a yearling at the Don caster sales, paid $17,5OO Tor hlm' and put him in the hands of the fa- nous Newcastle trainer, Basil Jarvis.
 That yearling was Papyrus, which last May, with Steve Donoghue up, flew past the rails at Epson and gave a derby winner to farmer, farmer who had beaten IS million aires. It is characteristic of Irish that he has never let 1t leak now much he won on that derby. al- though he admits his winnings were considerable"
 Irish has never had more than two or three horses in his stable. Even now he declares that he never intends to build up large stable. Perhaps that is the reason that his choice of horses Is all the more cautious, and successful.
 q never go upon information in picking horse," he once observed, "but upon careful study of the form and the work of a horse."
 Had Irish accompanied his horse to the United States. Americans would have seen squarely-built, ruddy-faced Englishman. Somewhere near the center. this ruddy face would be punctuated with large cigar. And the visitor. in what little he had to say to the welcom- ing Americans, probably would con fine his talk to horses and farming. If he chose the latter subject, he would specialize on potatoes.
 Irish has 800 acres at Sawtry, in Huntingdonshire. Most of these acres are in potatoes. With Mrs. Irish, he lives in an old manor house, a quiet retreat which sets in a garden of flowers and adjoins the farm.
 Mrs. Irish, like her husband. also hes judgment. She has never bet on a race in her life.
 Oklahoma A. & M. IS, Rice Insti-