TOD SLOAN 



just missed taking more money out of the Ring in one 

 afternoon than any plunger for years before or after- 

 wards. I can recall having ridden the first two winners 

 and then I had the mount on Democrat against 

 O'Donovan Rossa. Grannan had wagered £16,000, 

 having won a very big packet over the first two events. 

 I shall always be certain that I beat O'Donovan 

 Rossa by half a length. There could be no mistake for 

 the two of us were locked together and not wide apart. 

 There was consternation on the part of many when my 

 number didn't go up. Grannan was mad and some of 

 the " boys " tried to console him by having bottles of 

 wine, which he didn't take much of usually. He 

 simply went crazy with annoyance about it, and, 

 being in that state, came into the Ring and put 

 £20,000 at evens on Desmond, who hadn't been out 

 that year. I know that the first bet was £13,000 from 

 Pickersgill. 



Desmond was never seen in the race ! 



If Riley had drawn over Democrat it is certain that 

 he would have netted £70,000 that afternoon. But it 

 was said that he would never have got away with the 

 ready money part of it ; too many of the " boys " 

 were after him. They shadowed him and were all 

 ready to take him to town that night. 



At other times Grannan was a perfect lunatic bettor. 

 Sometimes it came off. He was a tall thin cadaverous- 

 looking man with nervous actions, although he was one 

 of the quickest gamblers imaginable, either at poker, 

 bridge, or faro. Originally he was a bell boy, or page, 

 at an hotel in Lexington, but started playing the races 

 and got on until he ran into money. I do not suppose 

 that at any time he was worth more than £60,000 or 

 £70,000, and even so he was quite liable to be broke 

 a few days afterwards. I remember he lost 50,000 



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