HUMORIST after the 1921 Epsom Derby. Jockey Steve Donoghue had this to say on his autobiography - ".... A fortnight after Epsom comes Ascot. There was a £4000 race at Ascot which he had merely to trot to win. He was taken to Ascot. Shortly before the race I went up to Morton to hear how the horse was and get what instructions he might have. His face was long and he looked unhappy. "You can't ride him today, Steve." "Why not? He has only to doddle the race, walk round" yet I was not really surprised. Morton whispered to me with his hand beside his mouth. " I saw a tiny spec of blood inside his right nostril this morning, and if the race were ten times as valuable, Steve, I would not run him. He goes home." "What a grand trainer was Charles Morton - his horse first and himself afterwards. A few days after that A.J. Munnings went down to paint a portrait of the horse. He worked on him in his box in the morning. After lunch the great painter went out to finish his work. Morton, of course, went with him. They opened the door and there was the little horse dead on the floor. Morton, old man though he was, turned away from the box and went up to his bedroom and cried like a child. Thank Heaven I was not there." " A post mortem examination was conducted on the horse and it was discovered that he had only one lung. My poor, brave little friend. What he must have suffered. So that was what he had been trying to tell me all along. And people had called him a coward. Ever since his death was announced I have heard it said that I thrashed HUMORIST to death, that I had killed him. "Donoghues Derby" they call that race. They say I stole it from better horses by flogging the little fellow. I loved him like a child, and in all his races rode him with the greatest tenderness of which I am capable. It was his love for me which caused him to make that brave, courageous effort and win the greatest race in the world with only one lung to feed his dauntless heart. He was the bravest horse that ever lived..... " Donoghue would ride six Epsom Derby winners (The title has my English spelling incorrectly of his name)
A derby winner with 1 lung, who'd have thought that was possible. Imagine how good he'd of been if he had a normal set of lungs
It seems incredible doesn't it. And of course with all the scientific advances since then, it could never happen again, as no one would even contemplate trying to make a racer out of a horse with such a defect!
Tragic story Reebs. Apparently he did have 2 lungs but one was just full of tuberculosis. The Joel colours again and 46 years later Humorist's 2nd cousin 4th remove won the Derby in the same colours: the aforementioned Royal Palace.
