Derby revenge for Chaplin

The Epsom Derby is traditionally held in June but that has not always been the case and one of the most intriguing, that of 1867, was run in mid-May. The background to the race had everything and the day itself even had snowfalls.

Henry Chaplin inherited his large estates when he was 21 and while a landed gentleman, he spent much of his time in London. Here, he fell in love with Lady Florence Paget and they became engaged. On the morning of the wedding she left home, saying she had to visit a shop to complete her outfit.
When she entered the shop, however, she passed straight through and out the back door, where she met her lover, Lord Hastings. They were married within the hour and Chaplin was left devastated.
He became obsessed with gambling and racing. Throughout his life he owned and bred racehorses. Hastings had similar involvement, At an auction both men bid on the same unraced horse and Chaplin was the purchaser for 1,000 guineas. He named the horse Hermit and in its first year racing won four of his six starts. Chaplin then decided to aim the horse at the Derby of 1867.
Ten days before the race Hermit burst a blood vessel and it looked as if he would be withdrawn. Even his regular jockey was given a different ride. The trainer thought otherwise and managed to get the horse right. Chaplin’s old foe Hastings did not have a horse for the race so he wagered £1000 that Hermit would loose. One of his friends, the Duke of Hamilton, wagered £180,000 to  £6,000 with Chaplin’s manager, Captain Machell, that Hermit would not win. Later that evening in a more sober moment he asked Machell to call off the bet and Machell accepted £1000 in lieu. Still, Hermit arrived at the start a 1000 to 15 outsider and with a replacement jockey.
The start was terrible – possibly the worst in Derby history.  The day was bitterly cold, with rain, sleet and snow. The start was delayed over an hour and The Times reported that there were more than 10 false starts. When they eventually got under way many of the spectators missed it but they soon realised that a horse had been left at the start. D’Estournel, the favourite, had caused many of the false starts and when the race eventually began, he reared and ran off in the opposite direction, where he began to attack spectators along the rails.
Of the 29 other starters, only four were in with a chance as they faced the finish and Hermit, who had no hope a week earlier, won by a neck with a late run.
Thus Chaplin won the Derby with a horse he probably bought to spite the man who married his fiancée and, into the bargain, Hastings lost his £1000 wager.
Chaplin went on to become the first Minister for Agriculture and was raised to the peerage in 1916.
His fortunes dwindled and he was forced to sell his estates but he lived until he was 82. Hastings continued to gamble and lost almost everything. Hermit went on the have a successful career at stud both in England and the United States.
Hermit won the Epsom Derby on May 22, 1867 –143 years ago this week.