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CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUPS AND FAILURES. • ■ Story of the Race Which Led to the Loss of Tod Sloans License. Always a favorite race for those of a speculative turn, the Cambridgeshire has been the medium of many big plunges. Iioth with owners and punters. I must confess the race lias always had a great faseiaation for me. and. moreover, on many occasions I have found the winner. In my humble efforts to woo the fickle goddess I have sometimes v lied on information, and on other occasions backed iay own fancies. It was in 1S9S when the Egerton House peoplr went for a big stake with Xunsuch, which carried the Royal colors, that I happened on Georgie, a 40 to 1 chance. The Australian-bred mare had somewhat unexpectedly won the Prince Edward Handicap at Alanchester after I had taken 50 to 1 about her. Though she had a ten-pound penalty, I was not deterred from hardening to my choice, for the Increased poundage only brought her burden up to 103 pounds — by no means a heavy weight for a useful six-year-old. All the same luck — a most important factor in racing — was on my side. Subsequently to the race the late Charles Greenwood told me that Richard Marsh had tried Nonsuch a certainty, but in an unequal start the Royal filly got badly away. In a race like the Cambridgeshire, with a field of between twenty and thirty runners, a tardy beginning is fatal. On tl at Wednesday altera 1 in October, the Egerton House people knew this to their cost, for in the Old Cambridgeshire Handicap two days later Nun-such made rings around Georgia, beating her by close on a dozen lengths. The Cambridgeshire was always an unlucky rice for Tod Sloan, who needless to say. was much chagrined at not getting Nunsuch off. A couple of years later the big Houghton handicap proved the first nail in his coffin, so far as English racing was concerned. Tod Sloans Confidence on Codoman. After rilling the French colt. Codoman. to victory in the Prix due Conseil Municipal, Sloan formed such a high opinion of M. Ephrussis three-year-old that he prevailed on those connected with him to put up the fourteen pounds extra and let him take his chance in the Cambridgeshire. That Sloan and his friends backed the "Frenchman" for a lot of money there was no possible doubt, whatever, as more than one prominent commission agent knew to their cost. An informal Jockey Club inquiry followed. Before and after the race all sorts of tall stories and rumors gained currency. It was openly stated that means, not quite in accordance with the rules of racing, might be resorted to in order to gain a victory. This may have been nothing but the vaporings ! of the "111:111 in the street," but certainly the Irish party connected with Berrill became alarmed, and though they had engaged an Amorb-an jockey to ride their colt, altered their minds at the eleventh hour, and sent over post haste for native talent. This turned up in the person of J. Thompson, who in those days had only just started in the profession in which later on he became a shining light. Whatever may have been the reason for a change in jockey ship, the judgment of the sell 1 turn was not at fault, for as I viewed the rue Thompson obeyed his instructions to the letter. This was to jump off at score and make the best of his way to the winning peat. Also to avoid as far as possible any interference. "Gone Through the Card." On the Saturday previous to the race I had at S.inlown Bark practically -gone through the card." I had not won a "Kings ransom," but I well remember one of my bets was fifty pounds to three pounds on Sicily Queen for a selling hurdle race. This her late owner. Charles Hibbert. laid me. remarking that I had more pluck than judgment, and that if the mare won he would stand a dozen bottles of wine. Fortune having farored me. on the advice of the late Mr. George Bdwarda I invested most of the winning at 100 to is on Codoman. which Sloan had been riding at exercise at Newmarket all that week, refusing several public engagements. Despite the nioie y th.it went on Codoman he did not harden in the market. Probably this waa accounted f r by the tet that the general public did not take kindly to his claims. lie had 122 pounds on his three-year old back, and on the "book" coaM Bo4 be made out quite the same class as Iovhall. Plaisanterie or La Fleehe, previously heavily weighted three -year-old winners. Then. too, 1 v came in ph nty for the much-overrated The Raft." while apt. BewtckC and the iratele.v party Wet 1 the warp ith with Little Eva. All the same, mv hopes rose high when the yettow ■potted, dark blue jacket took second place to Berrill ascending Bushes Hill. At the famous landmark Sloan give Codoman a momentary "breather." Then, getting his eUwWI will out. aa was his eastern when culling "a bin no units resCTTCS, he "set him alight" coming into the Dip. Irish cheers went up for the leader, an. I for oaee in a way m. 1 ■. dtemeat tot the better of me and 1 shouted, "Jo ! it. Sloan." but Codoman could not go any faster, and thus a big adventure failed. Our Jallio allies have always had a liking for the Cambridgeshire, and many are the coups they have brought off. More than one of my old acquaintances in Paris have regaled me with stories of these hippie battles. How my friend. Fred Lynham. in 1N70. when the Germans were encircling Paris in a ring of steel, brought grist to the financial mill of Count Reaard by the aid of Adonis, whose burden was 87 pounds. Three years later Alontargis somewhat unexpectedly in Count do Juignes colors again took the spoils Mcross the Channel. Peut-etre bringing off a woll-plannt d coup the following year. In a minor degree I shared in the victory of Jongleur when in 1S77 Prince dArenbergs three-year-old carried 110 pounds up the old Cambridgeshire Hill, giving that good filly Belphoebe eight pounds. Druids Lodge Stables "Doubles." In the present generation Cambridge: hire honors undoubtedly rest wnli the Druids Lodge stable. which scored a record with two "doubles" by the aid of Ha. klers Pride in 1303-04 and again in PJ09-10 with Christmas Daisy. It is an open secret that the first of these coups nearly came undone. The Wiltshire stable entered three for the race— Lord RoaBBMK, Fninsured and Hacklers Pride. Pndoubtedly their hopes were centered in the last-named, but someone forestalled them in the market. It was a rather hazardous sp-eula-tion and fraught with considerable danger, for it was not till a few days before the decision of the race that the stable., after mature consideration, decided to run the mare. I believe the patrons of the . Btablishmeat — Mr. Parefuy, Cast. Forester the owner of Hacklers Pride, Mr. E. A. Wigan. and Air. Cunliffe — debated the subject, and opinions wre divided as to whether the filly should be struek out or not. They well knew who had got the cream of the market, and the fillys quotation at the time was about 100 to 7. The matter was left in the hands of Mr. Cunliffe. a good sportsman and a shrewd man of business. He did not believe in the policy of "cutting off ones nose to spite ones face." Moreover. Hacklera Pride had been tried as a real good thing for the race. On the Monday before the Houghton Meeting he sent for a smart commission agent who had not hitherto been identified with Druids Lodge, and put the case before him, asking what the outlay would be to win 50.000 pounds. After weighing up the circumstances a sum was mentioned which struck the financier to be a fair one. "Get to work." was the order. Not ;: blow was struek. save a few small provincial beta, till the card was called over at the Newmarket Bubeeriptioa Rooms the night before the race. Then the commissioner and one of his friends did get to Work. I.urses and Over Norton were first and see-on 1 favorites. If any reader will turn up the files of The Sportsman they will find it reported that after a bet of 11.000 to 1.000 was laid. 10.000 to 1.000 was taken and wanted. They bet somewhat in those days. Kilglass started favorite, but could only finish third to Hacklers Pride and Burses. On the Monday following the check for the Druids Lodge winnings was nearer 00.000 pounds than 50.- 000 pounds, the sum stipulated for. Hacklers Pride Ugly-Looking Duckling. Unfortunately for me, I was ignorant of these facts at the time: still. I included Ilaekhrs lride ii: my lot. for I had a win over her the previous autumn at Derby when she won the Chesterfield Nursery. I shall never forget, however, the fright 1 lii il on seeing her have the paddock. Overnight in town I ran up against an Irbh racing acquaintance who was in difficulties. He had outrun the i Datable and wanted a couple of sovereigns to get to the Midlands. I lent him three, and over a whisky and so. 1.1 at the club he told me that Hack-It rs lride was a certainty. He impressed me so mack that I decided to have a plunge in mv small way. Telling my old friend. Martin Cobbett, to put me a "tenner" on, I went into the ring early, and on the outskirts picked up some little bets, such as 50 to 4. ten "fivers." and a "ponv" to three pounds. Returning to the paddock. I saw Bernard Dillon, in the pink and black-striped jacket of apt. Fonster. get up on the most awful-lookmg -rail" I ever gazed upon. Certainly in her two-year-old days Hacklers lride was the ugliest-looking duckling I ever set eyes on. So upset was I that the first man that I turned to thought I was going to have a fit. "AVliats the mitt, r." enquired John Wood, whom I ran up against. "Why 1 have got a pony on a weed that I would not give a •tenner for." I retorted. "AAell, save on ours." replied Mr. Leopold do Rothschilds "master of the horse." "Whats yours?" I mechanically r.pli.d. "Brambilla. and she will take some beating." Retracing my steps to the ring. I took 25 to 3 on M. Ephrussis filly as n "saver." Though slie won the City and Suburban the following spring she never troubled Hacklers lride in the race, as Dillon was first away, and before a couple of eighths had been travelled, led by a half dozen h ngths. As she grew up Ilaekhrs Pride Improved 111 lo..ks and was quite a taking mire when she won her second Cambridgeshire. — "Veteran" iu Loudon Sportsman.
