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EPSOM DERBYS OF A HUNDRED YEARS Incidents Attending tho Running of tho Most Famous Race of the World. Twenty-Fifth and Last Article. The Derby of 1911 will ever be remembered for a remarkably game performance on the part of the winner, Sunstar, which practically finished the race on three legs, after he had to all intents broken down some little distance from the winning post. In the circumstances it was a convincing proof of stoutness of heart possessed by the son of Sundridge, which, though he had hosts of admirers, had also plenty of opponents who argued up till then Sundridge had not been responsible for any descendants who had shown staying powers. Sundridge himself was a fine sprinter, but he had never proved capable of getting beyond the recognized sprinting distances, and though Sunstar had shown in tho Two Thousand Guineas that he was a horse well up to Derby class, his detractors refused to believe that a sou of a mere sprinter would be able to get the Derby course. The result, of course, proved them wrong, and there were no half-measures about the victory, either. It will be interesting to note the field which turned out to oppose Sunstar on the Downs at Epsom on the last day in May, 1911. Taking them in the order of finishing, they were Steadfast, Royal Tender, Phryxus, Eton Boy, Cellini, Bannockburn, Bachelors Hope, Sydmonton, Atmah, Helicon, So-bieski, Adam Bede, Duke of Lancaster, Zorzal Chelys colt subsequently named Chili II. Maaz, King William, Longboat, Pietri, All Gold. Nor-mint, Alan Melton, Royal Eagle, Bridge of Allan and Kel dOr. Sunstar had shown plenty of promise as a juvenile, for out of his six starts lie had won two races, viz., the Exeter Stakes at Newmarket First July Meeting, the International Two-Year-Old Plate at Kempton Park and dead-heated in the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket First October with Borrow, the subsequent winner of the Middle Park Plate. Stedfast had won three small races, but it was admitted that lie was a colt which wanted time to develop and this proved a correct estimate. Other Juvenile Performances. Phryxus had scored but once, and that -was in reality only a half victory, as he had dead-heated for the Dewhurst Plate with King William. Royal Tender was reckoned a moderate sort, his solitary success being gained in the Champagne Stakes at the Bibiiry Club Sleeting at Salisbury. Eton Boy won two events, and Cellini but one, though this was the important National Breeders Troduce Stakes at Sandown Park. Pietri was a useful youngster, which had won four races off the reel, these being the Princess Plate at Newmarket First July Meeting, the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, the Gimcrack Stakes at York, and the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, before being beaten by Borrow in the Middle Park Plate. This last-named race produced a great finish, for Pietri and Scaforth ran a dead-heat for second place, beaten only a neck. Coming to the spring of 1911, Stedfast early gave evidence that he had made improvement during the winter, for he was nothing like fit when he ran at Liverpool in March, where he finished third to Seaforth and Athelstan in the Union Jack Stakes. Another to begin well was Royal Tender, which won a handicap at Newbury, beating Cigar and others, then won another race at Kempton Park, and also another small race at the same place a month later. Eton Boy had won two races, though they were not of much account. Atmah had carried off the One Thousand Guineas and Longboat had scored, in the Payne Stakes, beating Phryxus. Sunstars Remarkable Trial. With regard to Sunstar, ho made his first appearance for the season in the Two Thousand Guineas, before which he won one of the finest trials through which a classic candidate has ever been put. Indeed, it was of such a high order that many people declined to accept it as it stood, and refusing to believe in it, lost their money. There was apparently every reason for their doubt, as it seemed quite impossible that any three-year-old could have beaten such trial tackle as Morton had at his command. It will be interesting to recall the horses which figured in the spin. In the order of finishing they were: Sunstar 3. Dean Swift 10, The Story 5, Spanish Prince 4 and Lycaon 3. This trial took place less than a fortnight before the Two Thousand Guineas, and when the report of it was published even knowledgable people looked askance at it, and refused to credit it. some arguing that Sunstar must have been in receipt of a great deal of weight, and others that he was not the horse being tried at all, but that Spanish Prince, which held an engagement in the Victoria Cup, was the animal being tested. Good Price for the Guineas. The result was that instead of being a raging favorite for the Guineas, Sunstar started at 5 to 1. being second in demand to Pietri, which had run a rare trial in public in the Esher Cup at Sandown Park, a handicap in which he carried 130 pounds, and ran second to Marclieal Strozzi, to which he was giving thirty-two pounds, and won only beaten a short head after a really great effort. Mr. Joel sent Lycaon to the post as well as Sunstar with the object of ensuring a good pace, but he had little chance of doing this, as Sunstar was" first away. Stern steadied him, but he was soon in command again, and eventually won in a canter by two lengths from Stedfast, which had had none the best of luck at the start. After this Sunstar was unbackable for the Newmarket Stakes, in which bookmakers demanded odds of 100 to 15, and again he won in a canter by two lengths from Beaure-paire. This race being over one and a half miles, his ability to stay the Epsom journey seemed beyond any further doubt and as Spanish Prince had in the meantime cantered away with the Victoria Cup, it seemed hopeless to look for anything to beat Sunstar in the Derby and lie was at a short price" in the London Clubs. This position he held until flag fall, when he stood at 13 to 8, with Pietri at 7 to 1, King William at 10 to 1, Stedfast at 100 to 8, Cellini at 100 to 7, Phryxus at 100 to G, and the others, at lengthening prices to the 500 to 1 offered against both Duke of Lancaster and Kel dOr. The Race for the Derby. They were not ..long at the post before being sent on their journey, and it was a capital start, with the exception that Stedfast appeared to throw up his head when the "gate" ascended, and lost some ground. For the first eighth Bachelors Hope, All Gold and Longboat were the leading trio, but then Bannockburn shot to the front and led at a fair pace. Pietri and Sunstar were a few lengths behind him. Both had moved up before reaching the mile post, where Stedfast began to improve his position, and King William dropped right out of it, having gone lame owing to the hard ground. Half-way down the descent to Tattcnham Corner Stern touched Sunstar witli the whip, and lie immediately went up to the leader. Stedfast was hero quickly coming through a band of beaten horses. Just after entering the straight Bannockburn gave way, and the favorite took command. A quarter of a mile from homo Royal Tender had a cut at the favorite, but could make no impression, and the only two with any chance of beating him were Stedfast and Cellini. Just below the Bell Sunstar faltered, und Stedfast dashed up to him, but the favorite rallied, and keeping going, won by two lengths. On returning to the weighing enclosure he was noticed to be walking lame and it was then discovered that the cause of his faltering was that he had broken down on the near fore leg and had practically galloped home on three legs. It was hoped that the injury would not prove serious, but it was found quite impossible to train him afterwards and he never ran again, being retired to the stud. It has been stated in many quarters that the field was a moderate one, but this could hardly be maintained in the light of the subsequent doings of some of them. Thus, of those who finished behind him, Stedfast in that year Avon eight races, Eton Boy won a Royal Hunt Cup, Bachelors Hope a Jubilee Stakes, Adam Bede a Duke of York Stakes and Cambridgeshire, and Chelys colt a City and Suburban. London Sporting Life.
