The Life of Fred Archer 149 
When the horses got well into the straight the white jacket 
and blue belt of Robert the Devil was so far in front that his 
victory seemed assured, but Archer sat down and rode with one 
arm as if for his life. Gradually the space between the two 
horses lessened, the bookmakers' cries of " 10 to i on Robert 
the Devil " suddenly ceased, and there was a look of surprise 
and alarm on the face of Rossiter when he heard the thunder- 
ing hoofs of Bend Or so close to his side. 
Rossiter flurriedly got up his whip, but two strides from the 
post Robert the Devil was still in front. Then Archer made 
one of those last-stride efforts for which he was famous, and 
with arm and legs he seemed almost to lift Bend Or that shade 
in front on the post which makes all the difference. 
So close to the judge was he when he made his effort that 
those in the ring laid as much as 5 to i that he had not got up, 
while those on the stands agreed with the judge that he had 
been successful. The hoisting of No. 7 was the signal for an 
outburst of cheering the like of which had never prior to that 
day been heard at Epsom. 
It is a strange coincidence that Archer shot himself in 
later years, while Rossiter was found one night in the Planta- 
tion near the Bury hill at Newmarket with his throat cut, 
but fortunately he recovered and afterwards did well in 
Roumania. 
As the race was run, many people thought that Rossiter 
should have won, but Archer was always generous to his 
brother jockeys. As he was returning to scale he heard a by- 
stander making some severe aspersions on the riding of Robert 
the Devil, and Archer at once turned on him, saying sharply : 
" Don't say it ; it isn't true. The lad rode as well as any lad 
could, but met a better horse." 
Some weeks after the Derby was over a rumour spread in 
racing circles that Bend Or might be disqualified, not only for 
the Derby but for all the races he had won. After a time the 
matter took actual shape, for Mr. Charles Brewer, the owner of 
