Archer (horse) - Racing Career

Racing Career

In 1860 Archer was bought and trained by business associate and school friend of Tom Roberts Etienne de Mestre (1832–1916), from Terara near Nowra, New South Wales. De Mestre (who would go on to train four Melbourne Cup winners and win five Melbourne Cups) was the son of Sydney businessman Prosper de Mestre (1789–1844). Although Archer raced in Etienne de Mestre's name, Archer was not legally owned by de Mestre. De Mestre leased some of his horses from Hassall and Roberts for training and racing purposes including Mariner (Archer's older half-brother), Archer and Tim Whiffler (with whom he won the 1867 Melbourne Cup). As a lessee, de Mestre "owned" (was fully responsible for) the horses during their leases.

Archer was three years old when de Mestre began his training at Terara (near Nowra) in May 1860. Nicknamed "The Bull" by locals, Archer was considered large for a three-year-old; he stood 16.3 hands with powerful hindquarters, a deep girth, well-sprung ribs and a good head and neck. His idiosyncrasies included his curious rolling gait when galloping, and the fact that he galloped with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He was a long-striding horse, who could cover 140 feet (43 m) in 16 strides. Archer’s large frame told on his legs, and he was frequently lame. Archer was lightly regarded after he ran badly in his first two races at Randwick in late May 1860. However, at the spring meeting later that year and the autumn meeting of 1861 he was undefeated in seven New South Wales races.

The inaugural two-mile Melbourne Cup on 7 November 1861 at Flemington was an eventful affair. Three of the seventeen starters fell during the race (two of them died); two jockeys sustained broken bones; one horse bolted off the course, but the race continued. At the final turn the favourite, Mormon, made his run but Archer caught and passed him. Before a crowd of about 4,000, Archer (a Sydney outsider, who was injured during training a few days before the race and attracted slight betting interest) defeated Mormon by six lengths in a time of 3:52.0 – the slowest time in Melbourne Cup history. Archer also defeated Mormon at Randwick in May over 2½ miles in the Australia Plate. In the first Melbourne Cup Archer won for de Mestre his prize was the sweepstake, 710 gold sovereigns (1 sovereign = £1), and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Before the race Archer was dismissed by the bookies, but after de Mestre of Terara made his wager Archer’s odds shortened and he started as the 6-1 second favourite. The winning bets on Archer took money from Melbourne, "refuelling interstate rivalry" and adding to the excitement of the Cup. The next day, Archer won another two-mile race at Flemington (the Melbourne Town Plate) with the same time. In May 1862 Archer won the three-mile AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and on 7 June 1862 Archer and Exeter were shipped back to Melbourne for the second Melbourne Cup. Archer was the Cup favourite; to prepare for the race, he was sent by railway from Melbourne to Geelong. In his first race in five months, Archer ran third on 1 October in the fifth three-mile Champion Sweepstakes.

Six weeks later (on 13 November 1862) Archer won his second Melbourne Cup carrying 10 st 2 lb – 142 pounds (64 kg) – at 2–1 odds in a time of 3:47.0. The race, held before a crowd of about 7,000 (nearly double the previous year's crowd), had 20 starters – the largest field of horses ever to start in Australia at that time. Again it was an exciting race; Cutts initially reined Archer back so that he was running last by several lengths, and appeared to be out of the running. He then gradually passed his opponents until reaching the leaders, when the long-striding horse galloped into first place. Archer won by eight lengths, with Mormon again running second. His winning margin is the Melbourne Cup record, unmatched until 1969 by Rain Lover. With a larger field meaning a larger sweepstake, Archer won 810 gold sovereigns and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Winning the Melbourne Cup two years in a row was a feat not repeated until Peter Pan won the race twice more than 70 years later. Two days later, Archer won the one-mile All-Aged Stakes at Flemington. Archer, Exeter and de Mestre arrived back in Sydney on the steamer Wonga Wonga on 29 November. The following week they caught another steamer to Wollongong, and traveled overland the 50 miles (80 km) to Terara.

A technicality resulted in Archer's being denied a third try at the Melbourne Cup. His telegraphed acceptance to race failed to arrive in time (delivery was delayed due to a public holiday in Melbourne), and Archer was refused permission to enter the race. Nominations for the 1863 Melbourne Cup had to be lodged with the Victorian Turf Club by Wednesday, 29 April, accompanied by five gold sovereigns. De Mestre had nominated two of his horses, Archer and Haidee. Weights were declared and published in Bell's Life in Sydney on Saturday, 9 May. Archer was to carry 11st 4 lb (71.82 kg, or 158 lb) - which, if he had raced, would have been the heaviest handicap in the history of the Melbourne Cup. Under the care of groom and trainer Tom Lamond Archer and Haidee steamed to Melbourne, leaving Sydney on the City Of Melbourne Tuesday, 16 June. Acceptance, with an additional five-sovereign payment, had to be lodged with the VTC by 8pm Wednesday, 1 July; de Mestre (still in Sydney) had overlooked the deadline. Reminded on the morning of 1 July by Sam Jenner of George Kirk & Co. of the deadline, de Mestre requested a telegram be sent to the Melbourne office of George Kirk & Co. asking them to accept on his behalf. De Mestre took the telegram to the telegraph office himself, and it was received in the Melbourne Telegraph Office at 1 pm. Wednesday, 1 July was a public holiday in Melbourne, and the telegram was not delivered to the George Kirk & Co. offices until 7:30 pm. The next morning George Kirk handed the telegram to the stewards at the Turf Club, who decided it was too late. This decision caused controversy amongst Archer's Sydney supporters, who had expected him to win. Pressure by Victorian owners made no difference to the VTC, which stood its ground. To protest this decision and show solidarity, the interstate entrants boycotted the third Cup. Unknown at the time, however, was that due to injury Archer would have been unlikely to race. The third Melbourne Cup ran with only seven Victoria horses, the smallest number in its history.

On 21 July de Mestre took the steamer City of Melbourne to Melbourne to oversee the training of his horses for the seventh Champion Sweepstakes at Ballarat on 1 October. Once again John Cutts was engaged to ride Archer, and he steamed to Melbourne on 4 August aboard the Rangatira. De Mestre's horses were sent from Melbourne to Ballarat by railway. During his training Archer was ill, lame and required veterinary care, and did not race well. His supporters angrily asked why de Mestre had not scratched him from the race. In reply, Rowland Hassall issued a statement that none of de Mestre's horses were public property. On 10 October, it was announced that Archer had "gone in one of his legs" after the race; the next day, he was scratched from all his Victoria engagements.

Brought to Sydney to prepare for the September Metropolitan Cup at Randwick Racecourse, Archer was seriously injured a month before the race during a veterinary treatment on 10 August 1864. He survived, and resumed training as soon as possible; however, he was ultimately scratched from the race. At the conclusion of the Randwick meeting, Archer was retired and returned to his owners Hassell and Roberts on Exeter Farm at Jembaicumbene, near where he had been foaled. This involved a rail trip from Sydney to Campbelltown, and an overland trip of 155 miles (250 km).