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STORIES OF THE DONCASTER ST. LEGER Interesting Details in Connection with Oiic of Englands Most Famous Races. In 1770 it was resolved to institute a Doneaster sweepstake of twenty-five guineas each for three-year-olds over two miles, both eolts and fillies to lie burdened with seven stone twelve pounds. This event was won by the Marquis of Rockinghams Allabacnlia, ridden by the famous John Singleton, the first real jockey of merit and who died, so it is alleged, a pauper in Chester workhouse. In 1777 31 r. Sotherns Bourbon was the victor, and although in the list of winners of the St. Leger the.se names occur, it is believed that the actual race was not then known by that title, and that it was not bestowed unil 1778, when Sir T. Gas-coignes Ilollandaise carried off the stakes. The race was really instituted by Licutenant-General Anthony St. Leger of Park Hill, near Doneaster, and his patronymic was bestowed on it, so tis said, at the suggestion of the Marquis of Rockingham during a dinner at the Red Lion, then the leading hotel in the town. Colonel St. Leger, who was known as "Handsome Jack," belonged to the family of the lords of Doneraile, Ireland, and he was a famous soldier and an intimate of the Prince of Wales afterward George IV. While General St. Leger lent his name to the race, the title of his mansion, Park Hill, was utilized for the Park Hill Stakes. In the same way the then Earl of Derby afterward permitted the Derby to be called after him, and his seat, The Oaks, near Epsom, provided a name for the fillies race. If Ave go back to the St. Leger of 1812, when Mr. Robs colt, Otterington, by Golumpus, won the race, beating twenty-three others, among them the famous Gatton, and flooring the longest odds ever heard offend previous to that day, we will learn of one remarkable case of the uncertainty of horse racing. Otterington had been running at the York races without even securing a place, and it was stated that he ran for the great Doneaster race merely that someone might win bets as to the number of horses that started for the race. Mr. Rob took, for a "lark," as it was said, 1,000 for 10, and had the pleasure of seeing his horse win by a short head. The fact was that the state of the course rendered any true running impossible; and when it is considered that the race occupied upward of four minutes, and that it was then generally got over in three minutes and twenty-five seconds, one need say no more upon Mr. Robs lucky hit, save that Otterington never showed up as a winner afterward. LONG SHOT WINS IN 1831. The St. Leger of 1831 was won by the Duke of Clevelands Chorister, against whose winning the bookmakers, particularly in the south, laid odds from 15 to ."0 to 1. The fact was the Duke was the owner of another horse in the race, Marcus; ami Chifney, under whose care the animal was booked, winning with him to a "certainty." As a matter of course, it was to bo suspected that something like a trial would take place between the two previous to the St. Leger, and from the advancement of Marcus on the Monday morning in the odds, viz., to ! to 2, and the decline of Chorister to 1,000 to 25, it in a great measure satisfied most folk that it was all right. Yet Chorister won by a head, and Marcus was beaten at least a hundred yards by the winner. A horse entered for the St. Leger of 1832 was purchased by the brothers Bond, the keepers of a gambling house, the Athenaeum, in St. James street, London. Ludlow, the horse in question, was likely to start a great favorite when it passed into the possession of the Bonds, as was asserted, to b? "milked" for the race; at all events, the public became possessed of that idea, which in some regroe put a stop to speculation. Road wrote a inter to one of the newspapers, in which lie maintained that he meant to run the horse on his merits, and mentioning the bets he had taken about Ludlow, and naming the parties he had backed the horse with. Mr. Gully carried off the St. Leger that year with Margrave. Ludlow was the absolute last in the race. FIGHT DUEL OVER THE RACE. It was in connection with this race in consequence of some dispute that Gully and Osbaldeston fought a duel, in which the former made a narrow escape of losing his life. Roth of these gentlemen were well known on the. turf ; Squire Osbaldeston made a match against time, which at the period was thought to be remarkable; he undertook to ride two hundred miles in ten hours, having as many horses at his command as he pleased. The match, which was with Colonel Charite, was for 1,000, and it was won easily enough by "the squire," who accomplished his task in seven, hours nineteen minutes and four seconds. John Gully, along with Ridsdale, managed several clever things, and had narrow escapes from landing two or three great coups, as, for instance, when Mameluke in 1827 did not win the St. Leger, being beaten by Matilda. This was an unfortunate race for Sully. He lost something like 50,000 on the event; two of his wagers were to the effect that Mameluke beat ten different horses and nine different horses, but Matilda was included in both bands, and so Crookford, with whom the bets were made, took his 20,000. Mr. Gully conquered fortune in the end. He, along with his confederate, won the Derby by the aid of St. Giles, securing half of the winnings, which rumor placed at over 00,000; his own horse, Margrave, placed the St. Leger to his credit also, which enabled him to pocket the handsome sum of 40,000, or-even more it has been said, but then there were the inevitable bad debts. Gully died at the ripe age of eighty years, having been crowned with fortunes choisest favors, but Ridsdale was found dead in a stable loft at Newmarket, with a few coppers in his pocket. JOHN OSBORNES PROUDEST MOMENT. When the mare Apology won the St. Leger in 1874 and gave John Osborne what was probably the proudest moment of his honorable career, the scene on the course could hardly be described. All manner of rumors detrimental to the mare obtained currency prior to the race. It was said that her forelegs had filled, and she had been defeated in the Great Yorkshire Stakes. George Frederick, the Derby winner, was struck out on the morning of the Sr. Leger, having sustained injury in a gallop on Tuesday, but the greatest sensation was created by .he announcement that Apology, in her final spin, had damaged one of her fetlocks, and limped on th: course so lame that everyone believed her to have broken down. This, coupled with the withdrawal of the Derby conqueror, set Doneaster in a fever. Osborne telegraphed to Apologys owner informing him of what had happened, and the leg was fomented, but the mare when appearing in the paddock in the afternoon she showed no signs of stiffness, and was speedily restored to favoritism. There were thirjeen runners, including two French horses, and Osborne waited on the field with his mare to the Red House. Then he came out and challenged the leaders, winning by a length and a half. Never since the triumphant hours of Caller Ou had men waxed so frantic upon the Town Moor. The owner of Apology was an exceptional man. who, within a year of his mares success, passed from the land of the living in the eighty-second year of his age; The Rev. J. W. King, vicar of Ashby-de-la-Launde, Lincolnshire, raced for many years under the assumed name of "Mr. Launde," and his connection with the turf seriously exercised the mind of his bishop. After the St. Leger his reverend superior wrote him a strong letter, in which he said: "You are the incumbent of two benefices in this diocese Ashby-de-la-Launde and Rassingham and the latter of these, in which you do not reside, is largely endowed. You hold these pastoral cures on the condition that you will promote the welfare of the church, and not bring disgrace upon her and do her grievous wrong." The old man answered: "It is true that for more than fifty years I have bred, and sometimes had in training, horses for the turf. They are of a breed highly prized, which I inherited with my estate, and have been in my family for generations. It may be difficult, perhaps, to decide what constitutes a scandal in the church, but I cannot think that in my efforts to perpetuate this breed I have done anything to incur your lordships displeasure." Will Scott "Black Rill" won the St. Leger nine times and Fred Archer six times. Scott mainly scored upon Yorkshire-bred horses, and naturally the Malton stable, to which he was attached, was followed by the natives of the county. The combination of Lord Falmouth and Archer scored a sensational win in 18S2, when the outsider, Dutch Oven, upset the "odds-on" Geheimniss, the Oaks winner of that year. In a field of fourteen odds of 11 to 8 were freely laid on Geheimniss and 100 to 15 laid against the Derby winner, Shotover, and 40 to 1 was obtainable about Dutch Oven. Two horses left at the post at the: start for the St. Leger have ultimately won it, i. e.. Lord Clifden and Kilwarlin. Lord Clifden, one of Newminsters finest sons, was badly, left when the flag fell, and was tailed off over fifty lengths when the other eighteen in the race passed the Red House. John Oslwrne got to work soon after, and having the luck to get him through -.von easily after hopeless odds had been offered against him as they ran. In Kilwarlins case, like Lord Clifden, he started favorite. One of Jewitts lads was at the post with a whip to "help him away." In a false start he was quick off the mark, but when they came back he would not move for the proper start and the others were away over 100 yards when Kilwarlin chose to get off. He caught the band at the distance, and afterward, aided by a lot of luck, in which Merry Hampton, the Derby winner, was nearly knocked off his legs, and again shut in. Kilwarlin won by half a length. Raileys Magazine.
