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EPSOM DERBYS OF A HUNDRED YEARS. Incidents Attending the Running of tho Most Famous Race of the World. Fifteenth Article. The year 1900, as was shown in the preceding article, was associated with a "Royal Derby," Diamond Jubilee winning in the colors of the late King Edward, then Prince of Wales. The following summer witnessed the triumph of an American, Mr. W. C. Whitney, though this gentleman also raced on an extensive scale in England. We were to some extent, however, reminded of the victory of Diamond Jubilee by the fact that his successor, Volodyovski, was a son of Florizel II., a brother of the triple-crown winner of the previous season. Volodyovski was out of La Reine, and was bred by Lady Meux. by whom lie was leased to Lord William Beresford. He made his first acquaintance with a racecourse early in his career, being one of the nine contestants for the Wilbrahani Plate at the First Spring meeting at Newmarket, in which lie failed to obtain a place, the spoils going to the odds-on chance Good Morning, owned by Captain Greer. He fared no better in his second effort, running moderately in the Kempton Park Two-year-old Plate. At Ascot he displayed improvement, running his earlier conqueror, Good Morning, to a head in the Coventry Stakes The colt was just discovering his form, and subsequently his juvenile days were marked by a series of victories, totalling five, and being only marred by one defeat. To commence with he made hacks of his half-dozen opponents in the Windsor Castle Stakes on the final day of the Ascot Meeting. He experienced some difficulty, however, in disposing of Princess Melton in First July week, but he easily won the Rous Memorial at Goodwood. Another event named after the famous Admiral that at Newmarket, in which he was opposed only by a mediocrity named Mrs. Kendall fell to his share, but lie failed in an effort to give the Queen Adelaide filly, latere known as Aida, thirteen pounds in the ImperialProduce Stakes at Kempton, a race noted for its ilpsets. He concluded his first season with a victoryin the Great Sapling Plate at San-down Park, whh?h he won by a length from Ar- It was pretty generally conceded that the son of Florizel II. was aboutthe best of his own age and sex, and in the winter .wagering on the Derby he was the chief fancy. The death of Lord William Beresford at the end of 1900, however, resulted in certain complications. One side contended that the death of the lessee cancelled the lease. The widow of Lord William, on the other hand, maintained that the lease continued. Eventually Mr. Justice Grantham decided in favor of Lady Meux, to whom the colt was subsequently returned, to be again leased to Mr. Whitney. Volodyovski still remained in charge of Huggins, the American trainer, who had prepared him for his two-year-old engagements. . Volodyovski, whose name, by the way, was a " rare source of trouble to both layers and backers, was not in top-hole condition when he reappeared in the Biennial at the Craven Meeting, and he scarcely saw the way St. Maclou and Magic Mirror, which finished first and second, went, the return reading. "Won by six lengths; same between second and third" which was "Voly." Everybody was satisfied that by Derby Day Huggins would have wrought considerable improvement, and the colt retained his place at the head of the quotations. Among the twenty-five starters for the great race were several whose names are to be found in the lists of winners of important races. Among these may be mentioned William the Third, which won an Ascot Gold Cup; Handicapper, the Two Thousand winner; Wargrave, the Cesarewitch winner; Lord Bobs and Orchid, sprinters of the first order; St. Maclou, which beat Sceptre in the Lincoln, and won the Manchester November Handicap with 130 pounds in the saddle; Royal George, which Avon the Jubilee; Revenue, a Duke of York Stakes winner; and Doricles, to whose St. Loger triumph reference is made below. Notwithstanding the strength of the field, the biggest price about Volodyovski on offer in the end was 5 to 2, Floriform being second in demand at 7 to 1, with Handicapper and Revenue bracketed on the 10 to 1 mark. As to the race. The running was made by Olympian, Revenue, and Lord Bobs, but when the descent to Tattenham Corner was being made, the two favorites began to get going. When the straight was reached, Olympian, which belonged to another American, Mr. Foxhall Keene, still led; but a little later the favorite went to the front, with William the Third in pursuit. At the distance "Voly" appeared to be winning comfortably, and L. Reiff, who, of course, was riding, seemed inclined to take tilings for granted. But Mornington Cannon was putting in good work on William the Third, and it eventually dawned upon Reiff that a further effort was required. Volodyovski answered the calls of his rider without flinching, but he shifted a bit from his course, and left an opening next to the rails which Cannon was not slow to take advantage of. Reiff now realized that he had to ride, and though for a few seconds a victory for the Duke of Portland seemed not improbable, Volodyovski finally passed the post three-quarters of a lengtli in front of William the Third, with Veronese, four lengths further away, third, and Floriform fourth. "Voly" and William the Third again met a few months later in the Lennox Stakes at nurst Park, the former having to concede the other three pounds. A great finish was seen, William the Third winning by a head. The Derby winners next essay was made in the St. Legcr, for which he started at 0 to 5 on. The Doncaster race was a somewhat unsatisfactory sort of affair, there being a bit of a scrimmage when the bend was about to be negotiated. Volodyovski was a sufferer in this, and in the end he was beaten a neck by Mr. Leopold de Rothschilds 40 to 1 chance, Doricles, rid- , den by Kempton Cannon. Reiff objected to the I winner on the ground of bumping. The objection was overruled by the stewards, who were of the opinion that Mr. Whitneys colt had been interfered with, but not by Doricles. His St. Leger effort appeared to have taken something out of "Voly," which was beaten by both Epsom Lad and Santoi in the Kempton Park Stakes, in which, however, he had Doricles, Merry Gal and Williom the Third behind him, while he just managed to beat Transparency, Dundonald and a couple of others in the Sandown Foal Stakes, which was his last race as a three-year-old. As a four-year-old he ran on eleven occasions without adding to his winning account, and at the close of his third season he was retired to Lady Meuxs stud at Waltham Cross. To be continued.
