The Life of Fred Archer 249 
crowd instantly recognised the value of the achievement, and 
accorded Archer a tremendous ovation. Epsom racecourse 
has been the scene of many enthusiastic demonstrations, but 
few that equalled this one. Webb has been blamed by some 
for not sending Paradox along more vigorously in the early 
part of the race, but the truth is that Archer took advantage 
of his rival's unavoidable helplessness. 
It was a supreme instance of a race being won by brains. 
Webb knew well enough that Archer had in a sense tricked 
him, and he was naturally terribly annoyed when he found 
himself beaten. There was, perhaps, some excuse for a Uttle 
exhibition of feehng, because this was the fifth year in succession 
that he had been on a horse finishing second or third. 
Royal Hampton, who was ridden out for a place, finished a 
bad third, Xaintrailles was fourth, Crafton fifth, Sheraton 
sixth, and Red Ruin seventh. It so happened that the first 
four in the Derby were the first four in the Middle Park Plate, 
but they did not finish in the same order. 
Melton's Derby was witnessed by the (then) Prince and 
Princess of Wales, Prince Edward and Prince George of Wales, 
and the three young Princesses. There was something specially 
appropriate in the presence of our present King, then Prince 
George of Wales, as this was his twentieth birthday, and he 
had never seen the Derby run before, though when the Derby 
was last run on his birthday, just eleven years before, it was 
won by a colt named after him, George Frederick, the grandson 
of Tom OUver's Prestbury mare, The Bloomer. 
Mr. Brodrick Cloete, the owner of Paradox, took his defeat 
Uke a man, and said to a friend, " Only fancy, being beaten by 
a nose — that much " (holding up his hands six inches apart). 
" I don't suppose I shall ever be so near to winning a Derby 
again." 
Mr. Cloete had promised to give his reminiscences of Archer 
for this book, which was, however, laid on one side in 1914, 
and Mr. Cloete was drowned in the Lusitania. 
