1960-05-17 — Page 9

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THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1960,

THE DERBY STORY

STORY RUN-CHASING GLOUCESTER

The Derby that ruined a marquess

By REX LOPEZ

Love and jêüldüsy were inextricably tangled with the Derby of

1867.

Strange that Fate should have chosen a horserace to ùvengé a spurned suitor and topple his rival's fortune, ultimately causing his death.

But then the race was the Derby Stakes. The most romantic contest in

the annals of thoroughbred racing. The weather was unseasonably ominous that day in 1867.

Felgning modesty, she asked Chaplin to wait for her at the Vera Street entrance

of the store where the intended | BUF-

The Downs at Epsom were covered in a carpet of newly fallen snow-despite the calenIng certain garments. der's feeble pronouncement that this was the height of the English summer.

Henry

Charles

For Weysford Plantaganet, 4th Marquess of Hastings, It was to be his đáy of judgment, For Henry Chaplin, hand- some, rich squire of Lincoln- shire, later Lord Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it was to be his day of revenge.

Their paths first crossed more then three years before when

And while her patiently paced the pavement outside, she walked through the store to the Oxford Street door and into the drink Hastings.

Märried

dt

St

They married secretly at Square, on July 16, 1864. George's Church, Hanover

For Henry Chaplin, the run- away marriage of his beloved

his amazing coll The Duke won eleven races.

But Chapila það the noe; s. colt named Hermi), which he had bought for £1,000, and winter mow. quoted favourite for the Derby, Blue Riband of the Turf

WEE

Hastings took his rival's good fortune as a personal affront,

He laid long odds against -- Hermit winning, until he stood to lose some £120,000,

In the words of Lady Floren- ce: "Henry is betting against Hermit as if it were already dead."

And, at the start of the 1867

both Henrys fell in love with with Hastings was a slap in the season, it seemed, that Hastings in 1867the year love and jealousy were "înéx--

one of the reigning beauties of the day, Lady Florence Paget, only daughter of the Marquess

of Anglesey.

Spendthrift

face which he never forgot or forgave.

Now the rivals in love became

itter rivals on the Turf. Both began buying expensive thoroughbreds, as if bent on air ing their personal vengeance through their horses on the

Hastings Was

reckless, romantic spendthrift. Chaplin Turf. sober, calm young man.

The fair Lady Florence chose Chaplin, but never quite severed her association with the free-spending Hastings, who continued his wooing of her.

The marriage of Lady < Florence and Henry Chaplin

was to be the event season.

of the

Everything was ready. Invita- tions had already been sent out And Lady Florence's wedding gown was the talk of the town. Then, on the LVP of her wedding, the beautiful Lady Florence and her fance went on a West End shopping spree for her trousSEUL.

Chaplin bought a horse for £11,000-then a fabulous price Hastings topped it by paying £12,000 for a useless coll

named Kangaroo.

But while Hastings acquired a taste for betting in £10,000 units, the more cautious Chaplin sought the counsel of experts commissions and placed his with rare

was near the truth.

Rumours

Hermit had not wintered well.

The weather was unseasonably ominous on Derby

tricably tongled with the race.

of all, the starters to

And the Turf was rife with likely rumours that he was unlikely to complete the course.

compete in that year's premier. Classic.

Indeed, when Hermit failed to line up for the Two Thousand placed as Derby favourite by Guineas, he was promptly re- Vauban, winner of the New

market Classic

His fate seemed sealed when a fortnight Before the big event, Herinit broke Hood vessel during a half-speed training gallon

But, looking miserable and Il-kept after days of complete rest, he trotted to the starting gate with John Daley up.

Hastings could have covered his Even at this late stage, abilities for a mere £2,000 leaving himself a few thousand to nothing.

Inspired

-

But he chose to go through with it without hedging a penny

Broken blood vessel or no broken blood vessel, Hermit ran that testing Derby course as if inspired.

Chaplin wanted to scratch his Derby entry, but on his trainer's The year 1886 was an ex-advice decided to leave him in. traordinary one for both of

On the eve of the Derby, them. Hastings won the One thanks to this record, Hermit Thousand Guineas with

was being offered at 100 to 1. Repulse. He cleaned up £60,- In a field which included the 000 when Lecturer romped cream of Britain's three-year- Tattenham Comer, where many home in the Cesarewitch. And 'olds, Hermit seemed the least a Derby is decided.

Four D. Jones THE PILFERING PIRATES

BY MADDOCKS

HOLD IT

WHILE I PAY

THE TAXI,

MATE

ARRIVE ATASCOUTS'.

|

HUT IN HACKNEY WICK

RIGHT, LADS, THIS

ISIT, EYES DOWN, LOOK IN, WE'RE

RICH

MORE LIKE. EZZE

ABANDON HOPE ALL YE -THAT ENTER

I'D SAY

HOT

Vauban, the favourite, led to

NOW.

HACKNEY WICK/REMEMBER, LET

ME

TONIGHT,

PELE

ME DO ALL THE TALKING, RIGHT?)

WE HAVE NO CHOICE,

MATE

But as the field took the sharp left-hand tum. Hermit's jockey urged him into a chal- lenging position just behind the leaders.

Suicide

Then, in a thrilling late run over the last 50 yards, Daley brought Hermit to the front and won by a neck. Hastings never stopped reel- ing from the hay-maker that Hermit's victory had dealt his

resources.

To meet his losses, he sold family estates in England, Scotland and Ireland.<

He started betting even more heavily in an effort to recoVE"," But 18 months later, sick and broken man at the age of

28, besieged by creditoes on I sides, he took his own life.

Sheaffer's

Newest

BALL POINT PER

AVAILABLE. AT......

ALL GOOD STORES__

ARE MY TIP FOR THE COUNTY CRICKET

CRICKET TITLE

By DENIS COMPTON

Nothing is more tricky to forecast than the county cricket championship, but I am going to stick my neck out and tip Gloucestershire for the title this season.

a

They were second last year to Yorkshire, but they last won the champion-

ago in the glorious days of the Gràcës, ship 88 Why this condent that Off-spinner David Allen, a Gloucestershire will do it now? great success in the West Indies, is a dne player, and could make The main reason is their bat-the team for his balting, alone, ting. In a good summer and

We Hope for, àither this FELI- If there is a weakness in the the tide which wins the cham-side it is that there are only seamers the ppening Bionship ist be the one most two capaiste of getting runs quickly bowlers Smith and Brown, a on a declaration.

Which other counter will be challenging Gloucestershire?

Ive you Ave, Lancashire, Essex,

Important

yorkchired ability w do exactly that was an important factor in their victory: last sekson

This

ידי

year Gloucestershire have that quick-scoring, power.

Tom Graveney will be a bright and enterprising captain, with the willingness to take chances which every cólinty captain must have now that the urgent need is for more enter- tailing cricket.

He may be away playing in Test matches more than will be healthy for, á county chas Ing the championship. It wil be surprising if he is not in the England side once more. Hệ deserves to be,

Losing the meant that ther caught on crum did defeated.

sachi time

Yorkshire could - have: ss

- sually modfered; ANTESE KAR dhe

bola turned hp differently.

Sussex are omitted from di ikve possibles, powerful as they are in their batting with players Yorkshire, like Ted Dexter im Parks, and Derbyshire, Ken Suttle. They have bowling weakness, intensifed: sits their opening bowler. Ian ThDYTIČK broke an arm.

TOM GRAVENEY

Keat, too, with good batting, suffer from weak bowling, par ticularly in the absence of

is top-class spinner

I

ro

what of fighty Surrey?

discussed their prospects with

acting captain Alec Becker, who looks at his county's prospects with some gloom.

Casualties

"Peter May will be absent -- and you know what that - will Indean to Surrey bating." Alec | sald ruěfully: "Tom" Clark's arthritic hip is bothering him badly, Jim Lainer's gone, Berle Constable 15 minus a knee cap

just like you, Denis.

"I am over 40, and about as fast as you are, and Bert Lock, the groundsman, has taken it into his head this season to produce wonderful wickets for batsmen All I can my is we'll be trying."y-

Tom's barling for the Cavaliers and Middlesex. And the result in South Africa was some of the may be as close as last year.

How tibee I realised again finest I have ever seen from whey Doug Insole, the Best anyone. He was facing the bowling of South Africans who captain, recently pointed out to me that his county was ninth were fighting for places in the in the Anal championship table, touring side now with us.

separated from Yorkshire at the Graveney himself is very con-top by 20 points... fident about his team's ability,

here is a blend of youth and could have been made up if Those 26 points, and Doug,

11 am sure Surrey will be try- experience and they really can bat right down to No. 19," he Essex had won instead of losing ing but I fear they are in for the toss In their two games a period of depression-Lordon told the.

against Yorkshire.

Express Service...

Veteran Sam

Openers are Arthur Milton and Martin Young, a formidable pair. Then come Derek Haw- king, Graveney, Ron Nicholls Johri Mortimore (who last year got the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets), Tony Brown, David Smith, and Barry Meyer -all of them run-chasers,

The bowling is formidable. There is more than adéquatë spin with Mortimore, Allen, and Cook. Gravenéy too le no sucker with his leg-breaks.

Sam Cook, slow left-arm, isp at.39, the oldest member of the side, but is bowling better than ever this year.

GENERAL'S

BIG

FERDINAND

By Mik

NANCY

I'M GOING TO BE A

BATON TWIRLER IN THE PARADE

NEXT WEEK

BUT YOU'LL 'NEVER LEARN TO DO THAT. IN

A WEEK

THIS IS THE LATEST IT RUNS ON A BATTERY

By Ernie Bushmiller

BRICK BRADFORD

WHAT

THATS THE MAGE

WARN MAGA

EARL

ARNING

AGAINST

STA

PRATE

'MARY:

WEATHER

İVASION BY

CLASSMAR

Ah! That Food! Berate! sair!

SWISSAIR

ROWNTREE'S

DELICIOUS

SMARTIES

As alway

MRK

OLATE

BEANS

FORD

Flash

Elorde

to defend title against Thai

Makita, MAY 18. Flach, Elorté of the Philippines, Holder of the World Junior lightweight and Oriental fight- Weight boxink crowia, today Mened up to meet. Phayung Nábaphol of Thailand ofi

Elorde

defend his Oriental lightweight title against Napaphol, who is Thailand's lightweight champion andzia. ranked the No. 2 Eghtweight contender for, Elorde's crown, in the ratings of the Oriental Box* the Federation

Napapho was chosen to fight Horde for the Oriental crowni in preference to Japati's Kenji Sakak

The match it twelve-rounder Kitaged at the 5 New Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on June 4,

Filipino prometer Jorge L Araneta, who signed up Elorde! also announced plans to live up én attractive Supporting laté for the promoti

The shout will be Eötvä

first Dügüt lines Winning the

from, Harold Gomes - of Pruvi” dence, Rhode Island, 3PL 3X

Sports Diary

TRACTION RIB H

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