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i , , i RELATING THE TRUE STORY OF MACGREG0R. Features of a Turf Problem Which Puzzled England in Years Long Gone. Turf history Is probably not more inaccurate than the history of England, France. Russia or any other i-ountry that can he mentioned, with the exception of Germany. I lie historians of the British turf are few in iiumlMT. and I am afraid that the majority of them have always been inclined to trust too much to hearsay. "The Druid" thought nothing of traveling a couple of hundred miles to verify a comparatively unimportant piece of information that had hen given to him. but we are still looking for someone worthy *t wear his mantle. Let me give a comparatively recent example of an erroneous statement that lias been made so frequently that nine people out every ten you meet implicitly believe it. 1 read only a few days ago — and in a sporting paper, too— that "Sir Martin fell in the Derbv of I.Mitt. which lie ought to have won." and the word "fell" is appended to bis name in some of the records of past racing. Now. as a matter of fact. Sir Martin did not fall in the ordinary acceptation of the term. He pecked badly, so badly that his jockey was shot out of the saddle and landed amongst the PCSffta on the other side of the rails. The colt was probably nearly, if not piitc. m to his knees ami nose. but. as he galloped past the judges box only a few lengths behind Minora and Lsavters, it is quite certain that he did not fall. Yet tin- statement has been repeated so often, both verbally and in print, that "fell" will be generally appended to Sir Martins name in any reference to the Kings Derby which may be made fifty or a hundred years hence. It is nearly half a century since Maegregor. one of the host horses ever foaled, ran for the Derby, and with George Eordliam on his back, and odds of .» to 4 laid on MSB, failed to get nearer than fourth, behind two such animals as Palmerston and Muster, which were scarcely second rate. It is universally accepted that Maegregor owed his sensational defeat to having broken down. He did n it break down, as 1 hope to show by the following true story of Ms career, for which I am indebted to my dear old friend the late James Waugh. who trained him. but I have little hope of correcting this popular error, ami "Maegregor Make down" will probably be the accepted version so long as |hc turf exists. Maegregor was a bay coll by Macaroni out of Necklace, and his extraordinary racing ability was discovered early in his career. In a recent article, entitled "some Memorable Trials." I gave an account in these coluius of the first question that Maegregor was ever asked, but will not apologize for briefly repenting it hen in order to make this a complete record of his career. He and Sunshine wcr tried as yearlings with the four-year-old Miss Hayes, which was only asked to give twelve Bssjssli to each of the youngsters. The distance was only three furlongs, so it was no joke to lose a coujile of lengths at the start, yet Maegregor did so. and then area as he liked. He was stabled with some of Mr. Merrys other horses at Gore Lanes, about half a mile from Russley. where the head lad lived, and the two teams used to meet on Williams Downs each day. One morning Waugh noticed that the suspensory ligament of Macirregors off fore leg was enlarged, and immediately asked his factotum. "Whats the matter?" "Nothing" was the replv, but "nothing" looked to lie decidedly serious, and "Take him away home" was the immediate order. This trouble arose in his yearling days, and gave an immense amount of anxiety to Waugh. This was partly the cause of his never running as a two-year-old, but it was more due. perhaps, to the fact that Sunshine was carrying all liefore her. and that Mr. Merry had a natural leaning towards a daughter of his beloved Thorinanby. and was unwilling to deprive her of the chance of winning a single race. However, he would have been brought out at Ascot as a two-year-old had he not started coughing just prior to that meeting, and he was actually sent to Newmarket for the Middle Park Plate, but at the last moment the old fondness for Sunshine prevailed: her owner thought that her |ienalty would not stop her. and she was allowed to take her chance. This, a- it turned out. was an unfortunate decision, as the filly would have lieen saved a desperate finish resulting in a dead heat, whilst Maegregor. which would have taken the sovoii-l»oiind maiden allowance, which was a condition of the race in those davs must have run clean away from Frivolity and kingcraft. After the Middle Park Plate Maegregor was tried with Sunlight and having *n n in a canter was kept at Newmarket for the Criterion Stakes, but his owner, knowing what a gem he possessed, was reluctant to allow ofhor people to share the knowledge with him. and Waugh received a wire just lx-fore the race that he was not to run. This was a piece of really good luck for the late Joseph Dawson, who wen the race with Hester, for. as Sunlight finished only a length he-hiud her. Maegregor would have only had to do an exercise gallop to win this stake, which was worth 1.170 sovereigns. The real fact was that Mr. Merry, whose betting transactions were conducted r.n a colossal scale totally unknown in these days, had a great idea c! winning the Derby with a "dark" horse, and was much inclined to trust to Sunlight for the Two Thousand Guineas and let Maegregor make his first public appearance on a race course at Epsom. James Waugh dissented strongly from these tactics, thinking that the p dicy of "masterly inaction" had al ready Sees carried a great deal too far with the colt, and owing to his urgent representations on the subject Maegregor and Sunlight were again tried together. Once more the former made a hopeless example of his stable companion and Mr. Merry gave way and decided that both should run. It is difficult to understand his reluctance in the matter, it being evident that Maegregor iHtssessed an even-money • liance. whereas 40 to 1 was then his quotation in the market!. A difficulty alKiiit the jockey now arose. John Daley, who was a big-framed man with great length of leg. and built very much after the style of the late F. Archer, had fir some time found great difficulty in keeping down his weight, and it seemed exceedingly doubtful whether he would manage to get down to the requisite 12 pounds. Waugh was anxious that he should ride and. knowing well how much MacLTcgor had in hand. was quite ready t- allow him to declare ■ little overweight, but. for some reason or other. Mr. Merry was resolutely determined not to give awav an ounce. Pass Daley walked and sweated as hard as it is |H ss!ble for a man to do. but. in spite of the in -st des|HTale exertions, when the morning of the race arrived it was evident that 123 pounds was the lowest that lit; could possibly ride. This put Waugh in an awkward iiosition. for he was at* at all inclined to have to look about for a fresi jockey at the last moment, whilst, on the other hand. Mr. Merrys orders were so peremptory on the point that he dare not allow Daley to declare even a Miund overweight. However, the trainer escaped from the difficulty and managed to have his own way by a neat ruse. About an hour prior to the time set for the decision of the race he said to his employer. "Dont yon think, sir. it would b • a good tiling for me to go down and saddle Maegregor and Sunlight at the New Stables, while you see the jockeys weighed out? Mr. Merry at once assented to this, so Waugh escaped all responsibility in the matter and Daley was allowed to declare a pound overweight. The exhibition that Maegregor made of his opponents has never been equalled in my experience if the classic races. Though by no means a small colt he seemed somewhat dwarfed on that day by his tall, long-legged rider, but it was the most complete case of hare and hounds that I ever saw. and there can be small doubt that he might have won by a hundred yards had there been any object in allowing him to do so. Next came his seanttsaai race in a Biennial, distance a mile and a half, at Bath, and yen will constantly hear that the Derby was left on the heights of I.ansdown. This, however, is another popular error. The colt was sent to IJati at his trainers special request, as he felt that the travelling and a race would keep him light and enable him to take a day or twos rest without detriment to his condition. The other three runners were Gamns. which won til-- Oaks in the following week. The Recorder and a filly by Trumpeter out of Ladv Sotnerset. and they carried 119 pounds each. This made it out of the question for Daley to ride, so J. Grimshaw had the mount. Mr. Merrys orders to him were, "lie sure and lie well up, and dont draw it fine." but the jockey, who had been much spoilt when riding light weights for the Marquis of Hastings in the palmy days of Danebury, and took many unwarrantable liberties in consequence, instead of ke-ping with his field, lay out of his ground in such extraordinary fashion that, about half a mile from home he must have been a good hundred yards behind Ganios. When Grimshaw did at last let Maegregor stride along the style iu which he closed up that apparently hopeless gap has probably never lieen equalled, except by Glad-iateur in the Ascot Cup of lsfifi. and Grimshaw certainly did not "draw it fine." as the verdict was one of twelve lengths from The Recorder, the other two being pulled up before reaching the judges box. It is absolutely certain that this race did Maegregor no harm whatever, fo., on the following Monday at Epsom — two days before the Derby — he did one of tin best gallops ever seen, making hacks of the two horses that were set to lead him. This disposed of the idea that running the colt at Bath cost him the Derby, and the statement, which one occasionally hears, that he was "got at" the night before the race is equally untenable. The building in which Mr. Merrys horses stood at Epsom contained two hexes with a stall in the middle. Joe Batten — now oae af the nest popular trainers at Newinarkef. who subsequently married the oldest Mi-s Waugh -and another lad slept in the boxes, ami Tass Parker was on sentinel duty outside until one oclock in the morning, at which hour he was relieved by James Waugh, who rem:iin--d until was time to take the horses out for their canter-. Thus it will lie seen that any idea that Maegregor was "nobbled" falls to the ground, and it is equally certain that he did not break down in the race itself. He was sent hesse on the Thursday under the care of Tass Parker and Tom Oliver, and was boxed at Dorking. The two custodians v. ere talking mi r the current repast that the colt had broken down, and to show the absurdity of it. Tass very injudiciously made the lad who was riding Maegregor trot him over the cobble stones just outside the railway station. This was a severe test for a h irse which had run a hard race on the pre -ceding day. but he stood it gallantly, and stepped out as .-mindly as possible. In the hope of solving llje mysteiy of his defeat, Mr. I.land. of Newbury, a well-known veterinary surgeon af that day. was at once summoned to thoroughly examine him and wired to Mr. Merry at Epsom on the Friday. "Slight fever ill both fore feet." This wire was shown to Matt Plows, the plater to the stable, whose terse comment. "Hes a liar." was a good deal more forcible than polite. It is a curious fact thai George I-ord-hams usual confidence quite deserted him prior to this memorable Derby. He sat in the weighing room looking sale and nervou.-ly biting his nails, and when Waugh tried to cheer him up by telling him I hat he could not possibly be tea ten all the reply he could get was. "You never know; theres no such thing as a certainty." This was a different spirit from that in which he had mounted Lord CI if den, observing. "No one but me knows how good this horse is." and made all the running on him in the Derby of BB, and. had his contiden .• been less overweening upon that occasion. I do not tli.uk that the name of Macaroni would have tiuin.d •■:• the list of Derby winners. Thus the real easM of Mncgregnrs defeat is still wrapped in appirenVj impenetrable mvsterv It is absolutely .or.i? that the coll went about the be t gallsp of bis 1 y on the Monday before the Derby, that he a- n L "got at" in anv way. and that lie did 11 d fttesk down in the course of the race itself .lanu 1 V .li was never able to offer any solution or tin- .-numi. and now that all the chief actors in wlai i :e really a turf tragedy have passed awav it is . rv milikely that the tiuili of the matter will eer coast to light. Relations had been somewhat strained between Mr. Merry and his trainer since the defeat of St. M lingo in the Chester Cup of 1S0! . On Waushs assurance that the three year-old could not well lie lieaten his owner backed him heavily, but little Graihvell did not prove strong enough t keep him straight, and when he was pulled up his near side was badly cut and scored from having run for lengths in close contact with the rails, but for which it is pretty certain that Knight of the Garter would have found the task of giving forty-three pounds to him a hopeless one. Macgregors defeat iq the Derby of the following year completed the rupture lietweeii employer and employe. Mr. Merry said on one occasion. "If youd trained Sunshine shed have won all the essaatE races." This was an unreasonable statement with regard to a filly which was not only tom-lied in her wind, but had met with a serious accident in the early part of her three-year-old sea-on. The trainer naturally deeply resented this imputation up..n his ability, and the hasty remark was the real cause of Mac_regor never being able to run again. Ip to that time, knowing the weakness that had always existed in the suspensory ligament of his off fore leg. Wam:h had lieen tender with him in his work, but after the unmerited ssperssn that had been made with regard to his training of Suii-liine he determined to leave no In Shew for the same thing to be said again, so sent the colt along in his work just as though he had been perfectly sound, the almost inevitable matt being that be speedily broke down. Maegregor was a short horse, standim: a trifle high on the leg. lioing built much on the line of St. Flaaspia. His chief fault was that he was terribly straight in front, but no one ever knew how-good he really was. and a remark James Waugh one made to me. "I dont know how much he c.uild have given Sunshine." is the best tribute to his extraordinary excellence. "The Druid" tells a capital story of Mr. Merry, lie was member for a good many years for a BeSSSh constituency — Falkirk Durghs, if my nie.nory a im me — and was being severely heckled at one of the meetings of his constituents for having run a hstn in France on a Sunday. There was no denvii:-: this serious impeachment, but l-.is reply — "I did run a horse on a Sunday, but he won. and I brought ::wav a lot of French gold" — so appealed to the hearts of the canny Scotchmen that it was received with loud cheers, and their member left the hall "without a stain on his character." There is no doubt that ha was a difficult master to serve, which was abundantly proved by his constant changes of trainers and jockeys. Of the latter who wore his colors at one time or another it may truthfully he wiitcn that "their name was legion." No jockey eaaM he said to be really as-ocia!ed with his stable. Frcn first to last he carried off seven classic races. Al lcroft. Daley. Webb, distance. T. Cannon. I.. Slu.wdei: and T. Osborne each riding one of the winners of these, and this is a case to which I can find ao parsBel. He had a high opinion of the ability of "Spuly" Payne, who won very often in his col-r-. but he would not put him up in a Derby for fear of ridicule. There is no doubt that "Speedy" was an eX-cellent jockey, but he was a still better acrobat, and Sone of the feats he accomplished in the latter line were really remarkable. In the "sixties" he constantly rode Cranburv. a fast horse, by Surplice out of Itosina. which developed a she -kingly bail temper, and was exceptionally awkvvaid at the starting jiost. Payne often used to dismount him there, and. asking Mr. Mi-George to dr.p his flag without paying any attention to the fact that he WSJ dismounted, would vault into tin- saddle as tie- horse dashed away. He vvas attemotiivj: this at the start of the nadminton Stakes at Path, in Isr.T. but managed to land on old Cranburvs neck, and he was half-way home -the distance of the race was only a half milo before lie managed to wriggle. back into the saddle and win by a half ,„/.-M lengths. "Speedy" had accomplished an even morn remarkable acrobatic feat than this just prior to iM Alth.-rpe Park Stakes of the preceding year. » had the mount on Fitzroy. the property of Mr. Richard Ten 15roe-k. and. whilst takii.g hi- pr-liniinary canter, the bit broke and came out of the colts mouth. This was an awkward accident to huopoii anywhere, and particularly so upon a cramped course like that at Northampton, about which the public used to w.-indT much as they liked. However, the jockey proved to be unite ei|ll:il to the i o i-ion. and. sliiigini: himself round Fitzroys neck, put one band oyer his nostrils, and managed to stop him. Paynes riding career was not a lead sae, and. some little time after it had terminated, he took the place of coachman to a doctor at nxford. His engagement in that capacity terminated abruptly. His temper was a somewhat curious one. and. his master having incurred his flsptnaan, he planned and carried out a novel scheme of revenge. Having previously called at a neighboring lunatic asylum with a specious story, he drove his master there and handed him over as a new patient. In vain the tin fortunate din-tor protested. and tried to explain matters. "Dont SSIf any attention to him. lie always says that." was "Speedys" last remark as he departed with the brougham, and his master was detained for some hours before the troth came out. — Sydenham Dixon in Loudon Sportsman.
