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ONE OF THE MASTER JOCKEYS DEPARTS. Danny Mahor Dies in London with a Remarkable Career in This Country and England. A cablegram of yesterday from London says: "Danny Maker, the American jockey, . died at a nursing home in London early today after a lingering illness which caused his retirement from the turf three years ago." Maher had been sutTering from consumption for several years. A soujourn in South Africa in 1911 was thought for a time to have practically cured him, but it soon became evident, after his return to England, that this impression was erroneous and that his end was in sight. Danny Maher was born October 29, 1S81, and therefore was 35 years of age. He was apprenticed to his uncle "Father Bill" Daly when he was seven years old and rode with marked success in this country before increasing weight drove him abroad. He rode for the first time in England in September. 1900, the mount being a winning one. Arriving- from America so late in the year gave hint only, a limited time to prove Ills ability, but that was soon evident to the English experts. In the short time that remained he rode twenty-seven winners and finished the season with a percentage of 21.09 and only once since then has it been less. In 1903 Maher was the victim of a motor car accident, the injuries from which caused his life to be despaired of and kept him out of the saddle for many weeks. Still, that year he rode fifty-six winners and had an average of 1S.7S, which was the lowest of his career on the English turf. He led the jockeys in matter of percentage five different years and from 1900 to and including 1913, a period of fourteen seasons, he earned a general average of 25.25, a remarkable record. Maher rode the winners of many of the greatest fixtures of the English turf, including three Derbys. Maher is extremely popular with Britisli turf, patrons and his services were always in demand. An American returning from England a year or two ago said: "About the only American that seems to get along perfectly in England is Danny Maher, and it is pretty good betting that Danny is more English now than they are themselves. He has got along because he is shrewd enough to cater to them and to take up their ways and make them his own. Of course they like him because he is capable, too, but it wouldnt be easy to call to mind another instance of the kind." In 1909 he related the following story of his racing career in a breezy style in the columns of Frys Magazine, published in England: "My first ride in an actual race was in 189-1 on Fagot, a horse belonging to my uncle. Most people on the course were, 1 believe, under the impression that 1 had just got there, but a man in the box and after all he is in 999 case out of a 1,000 the best judge placed me second, and in any case the race was a most exciting one, heads only separating the first three. However, I was not long before I "broke my duck, my first winning mount being on Phoebus, at Providence, R. I "My first really satisfactory year as a jockev was in 189S, and at Brighton Beach I had an extraordinarily good meeting, riding no fewer than sixty winners in thirty days. On one day, by the way, I was first past the stick in five races and finished second in the last event on the card. "The American style of riding had been pretty generally adopted here when 1 got over and races were run from end to end just as tiiev were in America, although I have often heard since that this style of riding was quite a novelty and for years and years the waiting behind and coming with a sharp burst at the finish method of racing was all the rage. There is, however, I think, little doubt that results work out much truer by coming right through with a horse than in the old-fashioned style. "It is not altogether easy in fact, it is uncommonly difficult to draw a direct line between English and American form of horses, but 1 think all tin? same that, generally speaking, the class of the English thoroughbred is better, while mares like Sceptre and Pretty Polly, and extra good horses like Ard Patrick, Spearmint, St. Frusquin and Persimmon would be anything from fourteen to twenty-one pounds in front of any American horse. "My first mount in the Derby was on Mr. Loril-lards Tantalus, the next on the late Duke of Devonshires Cheers, and in the following year. 1903. I won the Blue Riband of the turf for the first time on Sir James Millers Rock Sand. "Of that ride I shall always entertain most pleasant memories, for Rock Sand never caused me an uneasy moment and, indeed, before we had gone hair a mile I felt that 1 had the race won. and at no time had I to call on the son of Sainfoin for a serious effort. In the St. Legcr, too. Rock Sand gave me another arm chair ride and at the finish cantered past the post the easiest of winners, so that although racing experts declare that the three-year-olds of 1903 were a moderate lot, I do not coiir sider that the Derby winner can be fairly classed in this category, as he was a long way in front of all his rivals at the same age. But there is a lot of luck about racing and Rock Sand undoubtedly was unlucky to run up against two such horses as Ard Patrick and Scontre, which finished in front of him in the Eclipse Stakes. "A curious trait in Rock Sands disposition was his strong objection to the use of the whip, but the little horse was so game and always did his best that really I never had serious cause to resort to the flail, though in the Jockey Club Stakes, won bv Sceptre, when that brilliant mare shot out I gave him one, but his effort was of no avail and. after all, failure to tackle such a mare successfully was no disgrace. No, Rock Sand was a really game little hors:; and he could boast of one quality of inestimable value in a thoroughbred he never shirked his work. "Since that initial success in the greatest prize the turf lias to offer it has been my good fortune to have been successful twice more in 1905 on Lord Iloseherys Cicero, a son of Cyllene, and in the following year on Spearmint, a son of Carbine and a stable companion of Pretty Polly. I have rarely, if ever, thrown a leg across a better or gamer horse than Spearmint, whose sire. Carbine, too, must have been a rare good plucked mi. "Among the many good horses I have been fortunate enough to steer past the post first, Bachelors Button comes near the top, and, to my mind, S. B. Joels horse was bang up in the first class, though in fairies to Major Eustace Loders smashing mare, Pretty Polly, it must be said that the latter was not quite herself when beaten by Bachelors Button in the Gold Cup." In 1913 the London Sportsmans turf expert wrote of Maher as follows: "Malier supplies an even more striking case than Frank Wootton of the well-doing in England of a jockey from overseas. His skill was noticed from the moment of his first mount here, and there is not a horseman today who can concede him an ounce. Year after year he lias ridden brilliantly, and, though like every other professional, he has made mistakes, they represent a small percentage in the summary of his achievements. He has been in the service of the leading sportsmen of the land, and can claim success at one time or another in the majority of races in which jockeys are ambitions to shine. He came to this country from America in the autumn of 1900, and the record Ik; has made is remarkable. Though but twice being first among the winning jockeys of the year in 190S and 1913 he has only on two occasions missed the first three, and his winning percentage has always ruled high. The data are as follows: 1901, second; 1902, third; 1903. unplaced; 1904. third; 1905. unplaced; 1900, third; 1907. second; 190S, first; 1909. second; 1910. second; 1911, third; 1912, second: 1913, first. He has never come into conflict with the ruling turf authorities during his sojourn here, and stands out as prominently for his clean slate as he does for his jockeyship." "Syce" wrote of him in the London Tattler, another sporting authority, as follows: "That finest of jockeys and best of good fellows, Danny Maher, completed his thirty-second year in October. Danny is a great power on the turf today and the more acquaintance you have with the inner circles of racing the more reason you have for believing this to be so. There is not a stable in existence that is not anxious to secure his services when a fancied horse has to meet an important engagement. "He has won three Derbys, on Rock Sand, Cicero and Spearmint; he lias won the St. Leger on Rock Sand and Bayardo, and he has ridden winners of the Gold Cup at Ascot. "He has never been in trouble with the stewards of the Jockey Club for any offense, however, trivial. I think this is a wonderful thing to be able to say of a jockey who lias been riding so long and so brilliantly as Malier. You have to remember that lots of causes can help to get a jockey in trouble, of which he may be quite innocent the jealousy of others, a hanging-bad-mouthed horse, and a scrimmage, for instance. Once the Leicester stewards reported Danny to the stewards of the Jockey Club for alleged pulling of a horse called Sallust, the property of Lord Rosebery. What a grotesque and ludicrous blunder they made. The horse in question was one that had never won a race of any kind and that was known to be the worst rogue in training. This was the creature, if you please, that caused the local stewards to. act in a dreadfully unfair way toward one with such a fine and honest record as Maher. "The accused one was greatly perturbed and he will never1 forget or forgive,- even though the Jockey Club stewards promptly vindicated the jockey, while Lord Rosebery showed his indignation with the local accusers and his warm appreciations of Maher in a way peculiarly characteristic of him. Mahers record is without a stain. I think it is a great tiling in a career so long and interesting." In addition to the notable races mentioned above. Malier won the 0,000 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in 1902 with Cheers, in 1904 with Barley Dale, and in 1909 with Bayardo; the Jockey Club Stakes in 1910 with Lemberg, and a lengthy list of other famous races. The record of his career in England, year by . year, is as follows: I Ier- 1 Year. Mounts. Winners. centage. 1900 12S 27 21.04 1901 418 94 22.48 1902 451 100 23.50 1903 298 50 18.78 1904 402 115 1U.89 1905 411 101 24.57 1900 353 103 29.17 1907 424 114 20.88 1908 491 139 23.30 1909 424 110 27.35 1910 400 127 27.00 1911 430 . 99 22.70 1912 443 109 24.00 1913 427 115 i.J3 Total 5,020 1,421 25.25
