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EPSOM DERBYS OF A HUNDRED YEARS. Incidents Attending the Running of the Most Famous Race of the World. Nineteenth Article. In the most recent article of this series we dealt with the triumph of St. Annual in the popular "blue and yellow." No less gratifying was the success of Lard Rosebery ■ year later with Cicero. Whereas, however. Leopold de Rothschild had thus registered his first win after trying in vain for well over thirty years. Lord Bosebery had won in two consecutive years ls.94 and 1*9.. with I.adas and Sir Yisto respectively, so that the ex-premicr had become pretty used to leading in Derby winners by this time. Cicero, like his two previous victors, was bred by the Primrose Earl, and was a son of Cyllene — Qua, the h.tter being closely related to Ladas. both claiming lllnniiiiata as their dam. Cicero had a highly successful first season, during which he ran in five races, the whole of which he won. He made his public how in the Iitzwilliam Stakes in Craven Week. Kii.g Edward supplied the favorite for this in a colt called Baocaaarhet, but the royal candid*** was out of the first three, Cicero winning comfortably. His next outing was at Epsom, where lie won the Woodoote Stakes by three parts of a length from Hammurabi. Folowing this he competed for the Coventry Stakes at Ascot. In this Yedas. which bad won his four earlier races, was given slight preference by backers, but the son of Cyllene beat the favorite with a good bit to spare. The opposition in the July Stakes was moderate, as was indicated by the circumstances that odds of 20 to 1 were demanded by the layers; and tbeae odds w. re readily landed. Going an to Rundown Park, he had little difficulty in winning the richest two-year old stake of the year, the National Breeders Produce Stakes, in which he finished two lengths in front of Graadiflora, Full Cry being third and Polyn.-lus among those unplaced. Newmarket Stakes Triumph Over LlangibLy. Cicero was not nominated for the Two Thouaaad, which resulted in an easy victory for Vedas. which had earlier run unplaced to Sansovino in the Lincolnshire Handicap. Lord Boaeherya colt, however, took part in the Newmarket Stakes, Which ha won from Llangibby. Signorino being a poor third. The pair list named had followed Yedas home in the Gateeaa, though on that occasion Signorino was second and Sir. Neumanns colt third. The Newmarket form f Cic.ro bore evidence to the fact that he retained his juvenile excellence, anil it was not surprising that his Derby chance was highly esteemed. The greatest danger was anticipated from the French representative Hardy. SI. E. Blancheld a strong hand that rear in Adam. Val d*Or and .lardy, all of which were by Plying Pox, which had been secured by SI. Blanc at the sale of the Date of Westminsters horses for :!7..MK guineas. .lardy had revealed his quality during the previous season, when he easily won the .Middle Park Plate from flhaa Jehaa, Signorino and several others. Nevertheless, .lardy was stated to be the Last worthy of the trio, which Adam was reputed to be the best, .lardy, however, escaped an epidemic of coughing and fever Which visited SI. Blancs establishment and laid law most of the inmates, and he was therefore deputed to carry his owners colors at Epsom. Winner Is an Odds-On Favorite. Near the day of the race, however, it was discovered that .lardy was al-o coughing, while tin-Guiaeaa winner was withdrawn in consequence of a mishap. This, of course, had the effect of strengthening the position of Cicero, which on the any was an 11 to 4 on chance. .lardy being second favorite at 1 to 1 agaiast, As evidence of wh.t the public nought of the other, it has only to he mentioned that Silver Streak, which was third in the list, was on the :!:; to 1 mark. The general view that the race was in the n.ilnre of a match between l.ord Itoseberys colt and the Preach candidate was proved correct. The nili" starters got away on fairly level terms. I.iao making the running at the cutset, with the two favorites lying handy. When the mile post had been reached Silver Streak held the lead, with Cicero among the middle division, .lardy anil Cic.ro both made a wide sweep in making the head, but when a couple of eighths remained to be covered the pair named were ahead of their rivals. Shortly afterwards they wire joined by tin- nntahter signorino. Maher was called upon for an effort, to Which Cicero re-spomhd. and the colt finally won an interesting race by three-quarters of a length from lardy, which only gained second position by a head. Signorino being third and Silver Streak fourth. The victoiy of Cicero was. as said, highly popular; but there was a good deal of sympathy with the second, which had put up a splendid fight under physical disadvantages. It may be HCardcd in passing that it was on this afternoon that the promising young jockey Evans met with his death, through the falling of the Braw Lass filly in the race preceding the Derby. Sandown Park and Ascot Defeats. SI. Blanc received some consolation for his Epsom disappointment, at Sandown Park, a few weeks lat.-r. when his colt Val ..Or won the Eclipse Stakes from Cicero. The latter was giving the French candidate three pounds and was beaten by a half length. Llangibby being three -quarters of a length farther away. If. then. .lardy was inferior to his stable-companions, as repotted, and as the Eclipse Stakes running seemed to suggest, it may be argued with some show of reason that the French sportsman was unlucky in his Epsom Venture of 1905. Cicero was subsequently a victim of leg trouble and was unable to fulfill his 1 ngagements in the St. Leger — which was won by Cliallacombe — and other minor races that year. "but his trainer had got him fairly fit again by the following season. He reappeared in a biennial at the first of the Newmarket meetings, bis only opponent being Shilfa. Odds of ." to 1 were laid on the Derby winner, which won easily. He made but one further essay, being one of the five aspirants for the Ascot Cold Cup. This was the race in which another celebrity—to wit. Pretty Polly— bade farewell to the racing track. Major Lodors mare was, of course, favorite. Cicero and Batchelors Button being joint second favorites at 7 to 1 against. Cicero cut up nio.lerat -dy. and in the end Batchelors Button defeated Pretty Folly by a length, with Achilles third. A couide of yenrs later Cicero commenced his stud career at Slentmore. and the son of Cyllene has already made his mark. Perhaps the best known of his progeny is Friar Slaivus, which has wiiii several races for his majesty. To be continued.
