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/ h ;. e g e lie e 1 is s - - of f - - e y e t g -. s p , J e ii * V ii e , I ,. ,. .. ; , I . , I j i | t I , • I . i I I I I I I i i i CAREER OF "HONEST JOHN" OSBORNE E Former Crack Jockey Now Eighty-Five Years Old, 1, hut Hale, Hearty and Active. Tr",v, a wonderful man, the veteran still ridee ■ regularly at exercise, and it is only five years ago that one saw him riding The Culler over the full II course on the morning preceding the Chester Cup i. which he won and for which he trained him. while e more recently he has been seen striding along saddle in hand, with far more life and dash thaii a the majority of his younger contemporaries, before e putting one of his charges through his toilet for a a J-:"-, Although born in Derbyshire, most of his life has been spent in Yorkshire, and just as it has s been said of Fordham that he knew every blade of f grass on Newmarket Heath, so must "Honest John" he .icquainied with every twig on Middlehnm moor Many of the most famous jockeys of all time bare e i-ome from the North-country, but there prolial.lv V n-ver was a superior to John Osborne, who achieved il s i«e great performances during the forty-two years s of his public career, which commenced when he was s but thirteen years old. HIS ST. LEGER VICTORIES. In ISrifl ho scored his first classic victory bv the p aid of Manganese, which won the One Thousand 1 PS"?!- for w- ■• Brooks, and eighteen years later r had his second success on Aixilogy. which also won i the Oaks and St. Leger for Mr. Lanmle. the sporting parson. This daughter of Adventurer was a i ■teniae good aaare and her "Leger" was a memor-,, able event, for Ceorge Frederick was stuck out on i the morning of the race and there was considerable - doubt as to whether she would lie able to run owing ; to lameness. However, she did go to tne post and I started favorite, although she was not liked in the preliminary canter, and, moreover, bagaa slowly. ls-iiig at one time such a long way behind the lead-f ers that her chance seemed gone. SIm- improved as she warmed to her work and was on fighting terms ; a half mile from home, and eventually won easily, amid a scene of wild enthusiasm. Still more re-markable was the success in the same handling of ! l-ord St. Vincents Lord Clifdcu in 1H03. and if that ! is- beyond the limit of most present-day memories. a similar race may lie recalled when Kilwarlin, ridden by the Foxhill trainer, Robinson, won thirty y.-ars since, after lieing to all intents and purposes left at the post. This famous horse was one of the - best of Newininsters progeny. Among his early victories were the "Woodeote" :tid the "Champagne" at Doncaster, two recognized i two-year-old tests in those days. A "dickey" leg save trouble in the following season, but for al. that he was only lieatcn a head by Macaroni for tin Decay and. with his conqueror out of the way. started favorite for the St. Leger when, to the con- ■dcrnation of his supporters, he was left standing -still at the start and lost so much ground that for the moment he was dismissed from further c.-in •Mention. Nor did the situation seem more ho|ieful when, as the Red House was reached, he was still fifty lengths liehiml the leaders, but from that landmark forward his enormous stride rapidly im proved his position and he got up to win a inarve- lens race by a half length from L/ird Falmouths tlh.-n racing bj the name of Mr. T. Valentine Daks winner. Queen Bertha. It was said to lie tin only one of his lordships wonderful string of race hors-s on which he ever had a bet and that onlv I sixiience. which he afterwards pres-nted to his trainers wife, Mrs. John Scott, encircled in dia annuls. John Osbornes St. Leger record was in deed remarkable. AN EPSOM TRIUMPH. Lord Clifdens fame did not end here, but was pcriietuated at the stud, for although he never himself sired a Derby winner, his son. Hampton, which started his racing career by winning a small Ilate at Appy Anipton was the progenitor ol Merry Hampton and Ayrshire. Lord Clifden. however, got St. Leger winners in Hawthorudcn. Wen lock. .lannette and Petrarch, of which the last- I named also won a sensational Two Thousand Gtiin ! eas. while Jannette also won the Oaks, in which. I however, she was luck, perhaps, to reverse the I One Thousand Guineas form with Pilgrimage. Other I classic winners that sprang from Lord Clifdens i loins were the Oaks heroines, Miss Jummy and I Kusybody, both daughters of Petrarch. Osborne. I like Fordham and Tom Cannon, only won the Derby once, and that was when Pretender scored after ii finish so desperately close with Pero Gomez thai as they flashed past the post Wells exclaimed: "Ive just done you. Johnnie," but was countered with the remark:- "No. Im not lieatcn, it may be a dead bent." As it hapiiened Isith were wrong, for Judge Clark decided that Pretender bad won by | a short head. "Pero," however, was the better horse and would have won but for interference at a critical juncture and this was proved later when Sir Joseph Haw- leys game horse, not only reversed the placing- i in the St. Leger, but repeated the dose two aa l •" iater in the Doncaster Stakes. It has lieen slated that the sou of Adventurer had by that time lie- I come a roarer and I should be chary of dial- i longing the statement, though it came as news and it strikes me as possible that he may have Ix-cn i -unfounded with Bothwell in the same ownership, ivho was either a "musician" at the time or became j so after be bad won the Two Thousand Guineas | two years later. . , I ASCOT SUCCESSES OF OSBORNE. John Osliorne holds a splendid record in connection with the Two Thousand, which he won first on Vedette in 1K57, under the famous Aske spots of Lord Zetland, which was near the end of his I •areer. and an old horse when he got Galo-pin. winner of the Derby, and sire of St. Simon, of immortal fame, both as race horse and stallion Both wells success was supplemented by those of • Pretender. Prince Charlie, Camballo and Ayrshire, and he would have had another winning mount on Scot Free had he not lieen claimed for Beam-damp. Ascot was a lucky battle ground for the Ashgill jockey, where many and imiMirtant victories rewarded bis efforts for Sir Robert Jardine or J. Johnstone, which was synonymous, in the silver-braided blue jacket, with which he was for so many years associated, together with Thomas Dawson and Ft- d Rates. I It was in the colors of R. C. Vyner. however, that he roue Mis.situy the liest finish of his career, when I Minting fought out a great battle with Ormonde. I Isith four-year ibis, for the Hardwicke Stakes. A stronger finisher than he never sat in a saddle and. if. petpjapa, not so elegant in style as some of his rivals, none could improve on him. Like George 1 Fordham. he rode with an exceptionally short iron, something approaching the American habit, without * the ugly crouch and I do not fear contradiction i in describing Isith as among the greatest horse men of all times. "Eighty-five, not out." is a fine 1 innings and there is good hapa that "Honest John" ll ■vill make his century, so wonderful is his health. I Ilisiitutiou and vitality. — "Vigilant" in London * Sportsman.
