Certain races are now designated by common consent "classic." These,
in the order of their occurrence, are the Two Thousand Guineas, One
Thousand, and the Derby, Oaks, and St. Leger, but why they should
be "classic" more than some other events of the turf I am unable
to explain; they have, at any rate, become standing dishes of our
racing bills of fare. In point of origin, the St. Leger is entitled
to precedence as premier of "the classics." Much controversy has
taken place about the exact date of the first of the great Town Moor
struggles, caused, no doubt, by the fact that no name had been bestowed
upon it when it was instituted. The race in reality should date from
the year 1788, when Hollandaise won, but it was first run two years
earlier, when Allabaculia, ridden by J. Singleton, proved victorious.
The name was fixed upon, as has been often narrated, at a dinner held
in the "Red Lion Inn," in Doncaster. At that dinner the Marquis of
Rockingham proposed that "the sweepstakes," first run for in 1776,
should be named the "St. Leger," in compliment to Lieutenant-General
Anthony St. Leger, of Park Hill, and the proposition was unanimously
adopted. After a time, the Doncaster race became as famous as the
Derby, and its celebration during the last sixty years has, in some
degree, become an event of national significance.
The names and performances of the winning horses and successful jockeys
of the St. Leger have been sedulously chronicled for many years past,
and it may be said that, for good horses and exciting incidents, as
well as for the value of the stakes and the betting that takes place
upon it, the great Doncaster race is not behind the Derby, which is
indebted for much of its success to the fact of its taking place within
twenty miles of the populous city of London. Doncaster, where the race
for the St. Leger is run, is not so easy of access to large numbers
of spectators as the far-famed downs of Epsom; still, on the eventful
day, the Town Moor becomes crowded by thousands, chiefly enthusiastic
Yorkshiremen, eager to witness the grand spectacle.
The St. Leger, then, originated as a sweepstake of 25 gs. each for
three-year-old horses. The days of running have been changed two or
three times. The race was originally run on a Tuesday, then Wednesday
became for a couple of years the St. Leger day, when it again became
Tuesday, and continued to be celebrated on that day for twenty-five
years afterwards, after which it was run for a time on Monday, then
changed again to Tuesday. Since the year 1845, however, the St. Leger
day has been Wednesday. The distance run in the earlier races for
the great Doncaster prize was two miles, and the horses, instead of
running as at present, went the other way of the course. In 1812 the
race is described as being run "over the St. Leger course," which, in
the Calendar of the period, is stated to be 1 mile, 7 furlongs, and 20
yards, and 1 mile, 6 furlongs, and 100 yards on the inside; now the St.
Leger distance is given in Weatherby's Calendar as 1 mile, 6 furlongs,
132 yards.
In the early years of the race the stakes were counted in guineas, the
weights, 8 st. 2 lb. for colts, fillies carrying 2 lb. less. Since its
institution many horses have competed, the highest number started in
any year being thirty, when the winner was Mr. Watts's Memnon (1825).
As few as four horses, however, have gone to the starting-post, namely
in 1783 and 1785, when Phenomenon and Cowslip won. During the last
quarter of a century fair fields have competed for the St. Leger
Stakes. As many as nineteen horses went to the post in 1870, when
victory was awarded to Hawthornden; only seven horses were selected,
however, to oppose Mr. Merry's heroine, Marie Stuart. In the five years
ending with 1890 fifty-nine horses faced the starter. Taking a rough
average, thirteen horses made up the field for the "Sellinger," and as
the public form of the year is pretty well exposed by the middle of
September, many more competitors could scarcely be expected.
Glancing over the roll of victories as recorded in "Ruff," and other
"guides," we see that Lord A. Hamilton, one of the most successful of
the earlier aspirants for St. Leger honours, won the race in three
successive years with Paragon, Spadille, and Young Flora, and again,
after a lapse of three years, with Tartar, and on each occasion Mangle
was "up." Mr. Petre scored three consecutive St. Leger successes by
means of Matilda, The Colonel, and Rowton, 1827-8-9, previous to which
Mr. Mellish, the Duke of Hamilton, and Mr. Pierse had each taken the
race in two successive years, a feat which was afterwards followed up
by Lords Westminster and Falmouth. Several Scottish sportsmen have also
gained the coveted prize, notably the Duke of Hamilton (thrice), Lord
Eglinton (thrice), Mr. James Merry (twice), Mr. Ianson (twice), and Mr.
Stirling Crawford. In its earlier years few of the Dukes and Lords of
the turf won the St. Leger, but since 1876 the Peerage have been more
fortunate, only three Commoners having been credited with the race
during the last fourteen years, Lord Falmouth having proved successful
on three occasions. In 1889-90 St. Leger honours fell to the Duke of
Portland, by the aid of Donovan and Memoir.
The winning of the Derby and St. Leger by the same horse has been
accomplished in thirteen different years, commencing with Champion in
the first year of the century, 1800. For the long period of forty-eight
years no horse was able to emulate the great feat of Champion, but just
as owners and trainers were despairing, and people were beginning to
prophesy that the double event would never more take place. Surplice
came upon the scene and solved the problem. In the following year the
feat was again accomplished, when Lord Eglinton's Flying Dutchman
proved successful, whilst Lord Zetland's Voltigeur won the double
event in 1850. West Australian accomplished the same feat in 1853,
and, curiously enough, in the years 1864-5-6 the feat was successively
performed by Blair Athol, Gladiateur, and Lord Lyon. Silvio, a horse
belonging to Lord Falmouth, won both Derby and St. Leger in 1877,
while the dual victory of the American horse Iroquois is doubtless
green in the memory of all who take an interest in the turf. Since
Iroquois proved so fortunate, Melton, Ormonde, and Donovan have also
achieved double event honours (1885, 1886, and 1889). The annals of
the St. Leger have also been signalised by a series of triple events,
West Australian, Gladiateur, Lord Lyon, and Ormonde having won the Two
Thousand Guineas as well as the Derby and St. Leger.
It will not be out of place to devote a few lines to the famous
horsemen of the St. Leger, the jockeys who have won the Blue Ribbon of
the North. The rider of the first winner of the race was J. Singleton,
who steered Allabaculia to victory in 1766. The five successes of
Mangle took place on Ruler in 1780, and on Lord A. Hamilton's three in
1786-7-8, as also on the same nobleman's Tartar in 1792. Among horsemen
who flourished on the Town Moor of Doncaster at an early date was B.
Smith, who proved victorious on six occasions; but W. Scott was more
successful in the great race than any other jockey, as he secured the
St. Leger nine times, four of his wins being in consecutive years.
Many celebrated English horsemen have ridden in the St. Leger. Jackson
won the prize on eight occasions, and Buckle twice. Job Marson was
thrice victorious in the struggle; the latter on Voltigeur ran a dead
heat with Russborough, an Irish horse, but in the run-off, Voltigeur,
again ridden by Job, proved the better animal, winning the deciding
heat with great ease, although the jockey confessed to being a little
nervous. Flatman, too, made his mark on the Town Moor by winning two
consecutive St. Legers, namely, in 1856 with Warlock, and in 1857 with
Imperieuse. Another jockey who earned great distinction on the St.
Leger course was T. Chaloner, who gained the prize on five different
horses. Maidment won the stakes in 1871 for Baron Rothschild on Hannah,
and in the following year won again on Wenlock. The chief jockey of his
period, Frederick Archer, also earned his share of Doncaster honours,
having thrice won the race for his chief patron, Lord Falmouth, and
three times for other owners. Of living jockeys who have taken St.
Leger decorations it would be unfair not to chronicle the name of John
Osborne, who secured honours by a wonderful effort on Lord Clifden,
and who rode "the parson's cripple mare," Apology. Grimshaw, Custance,
Wells, and Goater have all in their time ridden St. Leger victors. T.
Cannon and J. Watts also deserve mention; the latter has ridden the
winner on three occasions.
The history of the St. Leger is distinguished by many curious events
and circumstances, one or two of which may be alluded to. Yorkshiremen
of all grades have recollections, pleasant or otherwise, of the annual
race for the Blue Ribbon of the North, and of the curious characters
who appeared at Doncaster to assist at its celebration, such as the
eccentric James Hurst, who came to the paddock dressed from head to
foot in sheepskin garments and drawn in a carriage of his own make by
his tame dogs, or occasionally by an ass, and sometimes attended by
a few tame foxes! On one occasion ten false starts took place before
the genuine race was run; that was in Altissidora's year (1813), when
seventeen horses came under the charge of the starter. A speculative
occupant of the grand stand, after the eighth false start had taken
place, laid 100 to 20 against the next attempt being successful and
also 100 to 30 against the tenth, and won his money. In the year
1819 the great Doncaster event was run twice! Two years afterwards,
Gustavus, which had won the Derby, was expected to win the St. Leger
also, but he was defeated by Jack Spigot, a northern horse. This was
the first great struggle between the southern and northern trainers,
and the latter, who entertained a profound contempt for Newmarket men
and their modes of training, prophesied that they could never win a
St. Leger--a prophecy that was speedily shown to be erroneous--and the
race is now seldom won by a horse trained in the northern stables, the
latest Yorkshire-trained winner, if I am not mistaken, being Apology.
Large amounts of money usually change hands over the race for the
St. Leger, the horse-loving Yorkshiremen being fond of making a bet;
many sums of considerable amount are risked by persons who habitually
speculate on the race. It was recently calculated by a gentleman
well versed in such matters that during the St. Leger week, over
fifty thousand individual bets would be made in Doncaster alone, the
amount standing to be won on the various horses in a good year for
betting--when, for instance, there is a strong run on five or six
animals--being not far short of a quarter of a million sterling, the
stake ranging from a shilling to five hundred, or even a thousand
pounds.
The "form" of the horses which compete is generally so well known as
to prevent the odds offered against those supposed to have any chance
of winning from being high. Upon one occasion, however, "any odds"
might in reality have been obtained against the horse which won; as
a matter of fact, one bet of a hundred pounds to a walking stick was
laid. During these latter years the highest rate of odds laid against
a winner at the start for the St. Leger was 40 to 1, the horse being
Dutch Oven. About Hawthornden (an outsider) an Edinburgh gentleman
obtained early in the year the extraordinary bet of £500 to £1, but
the layer, once well known as a big betting man, ultimately proved a
defaulter; the taker of the bet, however, was paid in the course of
time about a fourth of the sum.
Space cannot be afforded to record the early struggles for the St.
Leger. The progress of the race was slow and the stakes nothing to
speak of; indeed, it was not till the century had well advanced
that subscribers became numerous. In 1804 the nominators amounted
to a couple of dozen, five years later the entries exceeded fifty
horses by one. In 1839 107 became the figure; in 1864 that number was
doubled, 217 having been entered; and in 1879, when Rayon d'Or proved
victorious, 274 horses had been nominated for the race.
"Descriptions" of the St. Leger, as we know them, were not written
in its earlier years. In 1784, when Omphale won, it is stated by an
authority of the time that the filly had been amiss for twelve months
preceding, and had only been nine weeks in training, yet won easily.
After 1786 the betting about the first three horses seems to have been
recorded, and a "place" is about that time apportioned to every horse
that took part in the struggle, which was not a difficult matter,
seeing that the fields, till 1803, seldom exceeded eight horses. In
1789 a horse named Zanga came in first (it belonged to the Duke of
Hamilton), but the rider having been proved guilty of "jostling," the
race was awarded to Pewet, the favourite. Champion, which also won
the Derby, was victor in the St. Leger of 1800, ridden by Buckle. The
betting was 2 to 1 against the son of Pot8os. The St. Leger of 1801
is characterised as "a good race, and much betting," and next year,
when Orville won, the legend of the event is extended a little, and is
as follows: "Orville took the lead (in a field of seven), was never
headed, and won easy." The odds were 8 to 1 against the winner, the
favourite being Young Eclipse, which was priced at 5 to 4 _on_. Next
year the same story is told of Remembrancer. In 1804 quite a chapter
of accidents occurred in the race; several of the horses fell, their
jockeys being much hurt.
The following lines convey a description of the race for the St. Leger
of 1806, for which fourteen horses faced the starter, the winner being
Fyldener by Sir Peter, out of Fanny by Diomed: "They all went off at
very little better than a canter rate, and were nearly together at the
distance post, except Mr. Harrison's colt (by Harrison's Trumpator, out
of Bonnyface), who was beat several lengths; after which some smart
running took place; but Fyldener appeared to win easy at the end of a
clear length. On the whole it was a very indifferent race, and they
were a long time in running it."
The St. Leger began to be "timed" in the year 1810, when it occupied
three and a half minutes. In the year of the ten false starts a note
was not kept, but in the following years, with a few breaks, the time
was regularly noted, a practice which does not seem to have been
followed in regard to the Derby till the year 1846. In 1822 the winner
was Theodore, and the race is rendered memorable from the fact that
the odds against that horse were 200 to 1, about which circumstance
many good stories could be told. In 1823 the race for the St. Leger
was actually run twice over. To begin with, twenty-seven horses were
saddled and mounted and assembled at the post, three false starts then
took place, when twenty-three of the horses again faced the starter,
who also officiated as clerk of the course. These horses ran the entire
distance, and the first three were placed in the usual way by the
judge: Carnival 1, Barefoot 2, Comte d'Artois 3. But to the surprise
of all it was pronounced "no race," as the horses had started without
the word being given by the starter. There was nothing for it but to
run the race over again, which was done, the struggle resulting very
much as in the first trial, except that Barefoot gained the place
of honour, Comte d'Artois being again third, to Mr. Houldsworth's
Sherwood, which attained second honours, Barefoot winning easily by two
lengths.
The annals of the St. Leger are not free from stain. Many a time
and oft have whispers gone abroad of "foul play" and fraudulent
practices. A calendar of all the suspicious doings which have been
incidental to the great race would fill many pages. One or two of
them may be referred to. As has been told, the race was won in 1822
by a rank outsider (Theodore). The favourite that year was a colt
named Swap, belonging to, or at least nominated by, M. T. O. Powlett.
It was ridden by W. Scott, and started at odds of 7 to 4 against it,
and finished nowhere. Previous to the race being run there had been
displayed a great amount of excitement and temper with reference to
the doings in the various betting centres of the time. Ugly rumours
were in circulation regarding the favourite; those in "the know" were
so anxious to lay against the horse that suspicion was excited of all
not being as it ought to be with Swap. And so it proved. "The legs"
became jubilant after the race, some of them having netted large sums
of money. The betting had been very heavy, and backers of Swap lost
considerable amounts. Afterwards, in the Gascoigne Stakes, Swap beat
Theodore easily.
In the sporting circles of the period this particular St. Leger long
formed a theme of gossip, and the men who managed "the affair" were
well known, but no steps could be taken against them for lack of proof.
Ten years after the Swap business there fell out another St. Leger
scandal, when a horse entered for the race was purchased by the Bonds,
the keepers of a gambling house in St. James's Street. Ludlow, the
horse in question, was likely to start a great favourite when it passed
into the possession of the Bonds, as was asserted, to be "milked" for
the race; at all events, the sporting public became possessed of that
idea, which, in some degree, put a stop to speculation. Bond wrote
a letter to one of the newspapers in which he maintained that he
meant to run the horse on his merits, and mentioning the bets he had
taken, and naming the parties he had backed the horse with; but Ludlow
was the absolute last in the race, which Mr. Gully carried off with
Margrave. It was in connection with this race--in consequence of some
dispute--that Gully and Mr. Osbaldeston fought a duel, in which the
former had a narrow escape of losing his life.
At Doncaster no individual or private company reaps the benefit of
the moneys paid for admission to the stands and rings; the sums
drawn, it is understood, go to benefit the town. As regards the exact
mode of benefit, or the degree in which the people are benefited, no
particulars are published; judging, however, from the greed of those
who let their houses during the St. Leger week, the benefits derived
cannot be very great, the charges being always exorbitant, ranging from
£4 to £7 for apartments that at any other period of the year would be
dear at as many shillings. We do not speak of houses for which four
and five times the above sums are charged, but they are equally dear.
It has been stated that in consequence of the income derived from the
races the inhabitants pay no taxes; if that be really so, lodgings
ought to be cheaper at Doncaster than they are at present. One really
ought to be able to command a bedroom and breakfast-parlour for not
more than ten shillings a night, or two guineas for the four days.
Exorbitant prices have led those having racing business to attend to to
live for the four or five days of the meeting in the neighbouring towns
and villages, from which they can arrive at the Town Moor in good time
for business, and depart in ample time for dinner.
With reference to the sum paid as entry money for the race, namely,
£25, it is in reality much the same as for the Derby, with the
exception that, in the case of the great Epsom event, each runner is
mulcted in the full sum of 50 gs., but taking an average of twelve
runners, that number would only add £300 to the stakes of the winning
horse. Handsome additions ought therefore to be made. That the
Doncaster authorities should supplement the St. Leger Stakes with a
liberal hand is all the more necessary, seeing that the form of the
horses has before September become so exposed as to make it impossible
to back them, except at an unremunerative price. An addition of £1,000
to the second horse, and a sum of £500 to the one which runs third,
should at once be demanded by those gentlemen who are in the custom
year after year of nominating their yearlings for the Blue Ribbon
of the North; the subscriptions in their entirety should go to the
winner, and a given amount ought to be fixed for the first horse--say
£5,000.