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SOMETHING OF THE ST. LEGER. Odd Happenings in Connection with Running of Great English Classic. The St. Leger is the only, one of the big English classics that remains to be run this season, and from re- ent developments it bids fair to be the race of the year, if not the most sensational turf contest of this generation. It is scheduled for decision at Doncaster September 8. The fact that King Edwards Derby winner. Minora, will be in trim for the fray is doing a great deal toward attracting attention to the fixture, for a royal victory at Doncaster would bo something new. Another thing which has aroused the curiosity of the turf-goers to fever pitch is the return to form of Bayanlo. the unbeaten two-ye-ar-old of last year, and for a while the Derby favorite. Of all the races of the English turf none has a more interesting and varied history than the St. , Leger. It was founded about 1775 by Colonel Anthony St. Leger, then known as Jack, and one of the wildest characters of his time. He was a close friend of the Prince of Wales, after George IV., and the records have it that he was also a founder of the famous Hell Fire Club. The St. Leger family ranks among the British peerages by the ducal house of Rutland, and the present Lord Don-eraile is Edward St. Leger. When William the Conqueror lirst set his foot on English soil he was escorted from his boat by one of the St. Legers, and later a St. Leger married the sister of King Edward IV. One of the queerest things about the history of the race Is that it is not easy to know when the first St. Leger was exactly run. According to Ruff and other turf chroniclers, the first winner dates from 1770, the horse being Allabaciilia and the owner Lord Rockingham. The winner in 1777 was Bourbon and in 1778 Hollandaise, owned by Sir Thomas Gas-eoigne. In this latter year the race was first christened, the other two being referred to as "a sweepstakes of 25 guineas each for three-jear-olds; colts, S stone; fillies, 7 stone 12 pounds; in one two-mile heat." It was always a great northern sporting event, but in its early days it did not possess a clean name for sportsmanship, and the trickery of trainers and some owners went so. far that there was talk of having the meeting expunged from the racing calendar. It seems one of the most frequent forms of malpractice was the trick of causing a lot of false starts so as to put certain horses out of the race. The very worst case spoken of was the race of 1827, which was finally won by a mare called Matilda, there being no less than eight false starts before the horses got away. This number of bad breaks had an object, and that was to hamper Mameluke, Derby winner of the year, and the trick worked well, for Mameluke did not figure in the first three. It afterward leaked out that a clique of northern jockeys engineered the whole thing, as they hated to see a St, Leger won by a Newmarket rider on a Derby winner. At about this time there was in vogue a peculiar kind of betting which had a bearing also on the false starts and other slick doings at the post. For instance, a man would bet that twenty horses would start, though there was not the least likelihood of that number turning out for the race. Then when his money was up he would scour the adjoining country for all the available animals and enter them, making sure that the required number faced the starter. It made little difference to the bettor how far some of the horses ran: If they were at all able to leave the starting line they answered his purpose. In a little while, however, the managers of the meet got wise to the situation and raised the subscription money, and the false starts and padded entry list at once, disappeared. The jostling, pocketing and similar tactics remained for a while longer, and in 1S34 there was a notable case of robbery. Among the horses to go to the post Was Plenipotentiary, the Derby wiuuer of that year and rated as an exceptionally fast stayer, but he received such bumping and tossiug that he finished the very worst horse in the race. Perhaps one of the greatest of all St. Leger winners was West Australian, and a plot was hatched that he should under no circumstances be allowed to win. In the first place an enemy was found working in the stable, probably with the intention of drugging the horse so that be should not even get ;ls far as Doncaster. Clever watching on the part of his trainer prevented West Australian being tampered with but the danger did not end there, for there was a horse actually put in the race to knock him over if everything else failed. The animal was named Scythian and was ridden by a northern jockey named John Wells, while Frank Butler, one of the best Newmarket men of the day. had the job on West Australian. Before the hprses were saddled Butler was told about Wells, and the Newmarket chap kept a sharp lookout for the enemy. Several times Wells tried to throw his mount in front of Butler, but every attempt was useless and West Australian led the field home. After the horses went back to the paddock Lord Derby walked around to have a chat with Butler, when the jockey told him a very plain tale. Said Butler in Ills quaint dialect: "He corned at me once, me lord, and then ho corned at me again, and when he eomod at me the third time, close to the Red House, 1 see what hu was Imp to; tso I buns wi me whip an I says. You damned young devil, if you comes at me again. Ill knock your damnetl hove out!" In the long list of years there have been some great races for the St. Leger. Probably one of the greatest was that of 1850. when Voltigeur won after a dead heat with Russborough. It is a fact wortii mentioning- that Voltigeur figures in the pedigree of llayardos dam Tour generations back. Arter the numbers had been hoisted announcing the dead heat, Voltigeurs trainer was for taking hini back to his box to have him done up, but John Scott, the old " izard of the North." gave advice to the contrary to Lord Zetland, the horses owner. It was to the effect that Voltigeur should lie walked around nnd not allowed to stiiTen up till the time for the re-run arrived. Scotts bit of advice proved to bo the right thing, for in a scene of excitement not since equaled at Doncaster. Voltigeur gained the victory by a little more thaii a length. Voltigeur was backed for an enormous amount of money and those who won were so jubilant that as many as could pressed around the horse and wiped the sweat off him with their handkerchiefs for the purpose of keeping them as mementos. A curious coincidence in connection with the St. Leger is the frequency with which It has been won by the same owner in succession. The list of winners shows that it has been won by two owners three years in succession. Among the owners who won it in the early years of the last century was Lord Iitzwilliam. the family being noted for its great support of the Doncaster races. In those days the Iitzwilliam household used to have a feudal procession from Wentworth. the Yorkshire seat, to the town moor. Each carriage was drawn bv six fine bays magnificently equipped. Twenty outriders were in front, while in the rear were the lictter class tenants, and they rode four abreast, the whole thing looking like a cavalry regiment. But in matters of this kind there are no iieople more patriotic than lorkshiremen. It is on record that one York-slnremail Sir Tatton S.vkes saw the St. Leger no less than seventy-six times. John Scott, already spoken of, trained sixteen winners in a period of thirty-live years. Nearly all the big races on the other side of the Atlantic have been subjects for those who dream of tha first past the post, but above all the St. Leger is the dreamers race, and there are on record numerous instances. One of the most notable is that of the chemist named Peat, who lived at Redcar and who dreamed that ho saw the mare Caller u flying past the post n winner. Next day when ho started to back his vision some friends told him that the mare was not even likely to run. Thereupon Peat immediately wrote to I Anson, her trainer, telling him of the dream and offering to pay all expenses if the mare was only sent to the post. Whether or not I Anson was given to suiierstition is not known, but he wrote back to Peat saying that sooner than disappoint him the mare would ruu and declined the offer of expenses. Peat took the answer as a further sign that the dream would come true, and he put on a little more money. Sure enough Caller On won. Two others who profited well by dreams were Amais Charles Ordc-Powlott and his brother. T. Orde-Powlett, .younger brothers of the late Lord Bolton. The former dreamed of Voltigeurs success in the Derby, and alsp the second and third horses, and between them thb brothers won a handsome sum. The mother of these sportsmen was a great dreamer, .for on two occasions she dreamed the winner of the St Leger She told her husband each time, and he having faith in her visions won big sums upon each occasion. Charles Dickens visited Doncaster in 1S57 on his way home from a holiday in the north. He knew nothing about a horse nor did he dream, yet, as has happened to many a novice before, be picked three winners. On entering the course the great novelist wrote "Iinperleuse" on the card, though some one told him that Blink Bonny might have a good show as Ik? had won the Derby. That did not swav Dickons, and lie even wrote the names of two other horses m the two races below the St. Leger. Singularly enough the three horses won.
