Nimbus Scores by Head Over Amour Drake in English Derby: Swallow Tail Same Margin Behind Runner-Up as Near Record Crowd Views Sport, Daily Racing Form, 1949-06-06

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► ■ Nimbus Scores by Head Over Amour Drake in English Derby j Swallow Tail Same Margin * Behind Runner-Up as Near Record Crowd Views Sport By VERNON MORGAN Reuters Sports Editor EPSOM DOWNS, England, June 4.— Mrs. Marion Glenisters colt, Nimbus, starting second choice at 7 to 1, won the most thrilling Derby ever staged on Epsom Downs historic course here this afternoon, j beating Leon Volterras Amour Drake a head, with Lord Derbys Swallow Tail a similar margin behind the French horse. The judge called for the photograph as the three horses passed the post locked together. Amour Drake started at 10 to 1, and Swallow Tail at 100 to 8. Mrs. Glenister is only the second woman ever to have won a Derby. Her colt led almost from start to finish to withstand a terrific finish by the French colt, thus foiling a French bid for the "hat trick." Nimbus, who had won the 2,000 Guineas, thus accomplished a feat which had not been recorded since Blue Peter did it in 1939. It looked to be a duel between the two English colts, Nimbus and Swallow Tail, who raced neck and neck up the stretch, but suddenly on the scene swooped "The Crocodile," the name by which the Australian rider, Rae Johnstone, is popularly known, on Amour Drake. No one could tell who won, and the judge called for the photo to decide the first three in the first Derby photo finish. The favored Royal Forest was badly drawn on the extreme outside of the field, but was tired after rounding Tatenham Corner. He could not get up any speed and finished fourth. Jockey Gordon Richards, who has yet to win this classic, was thus again foiled in his twenty-fourth attempt. The field numbered 32 — Ugongo was scratched before the start — and was only two short of the second. The race was worth over 6,000, a new record at the prevailing rate of currency. American Hope Fares Poorly None was more thrilled at the exciting finish than Leon Volterra, who owns Amour Drake. He was scik in bed in his Paris home and heard the race on wireless with a doctor in attendance. He has been suffering from heart trouble and the tense moment when his colt dashed up at the finish can hardly have done his pulse any j good. The lone American candidate, Brown Rover, owned by William Woodward looked extremely well in the paddock and was one of the coolest of the runners. In the race itself, however, he cut a sorry figure and was at no time seen with a chance. He was never out of the rear division and did not finish in the first 14. It is understood the colt was only mildly fancied by his connections and that his main objective, like Black Tarquin last year, is the- St. Leger at a mile and three-quarters at Doncaster in September. The decision to put blinkers on Swallow Tail made all the difference to Lord Derbys colt, for he showed his best form and had the going been a little less yielding he might well have won. He was perhaps slightly in front of Nimbus, who had led from the start as they rounded Tatenham Corner, but Nimbus came again as they entered the straight and they were locked together as they battled toward the finish line. The race was run in sunshine and a blustering wind before what must have been a nearly record crowd. The winning jockey was Charlie Elliott, who had ridden Nimbus in the 2,000 Guineas, to record a notable double. He had publicly tipped the winner, who gave bookmakers a very bad race. There had been some doubt as to the ability of this son of the Italian sire, Nearco, to stay, but this was just how he won the race — by staying on top. Amour Drake is by the French Grand Prix winner, Admiral Drake, and Swallow Tail is by another French-bred stallion, Bois Roussel. The race was watched by the Queen, Princess Elizabeth, Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal family. Nimbus took 2:42 to cover the mile and a half course. Behind the first four, Barnes Park, Normanton, Boisson, Willoughton, Highland HI., and Gades finished in that order.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1949060601/drf1949060601_2_5
Local Identifier: drf1949060601_2_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800