Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Saturday 17 June 1944, page 3


Britain Bets Heavily On Derby

[ ONDON, June 16 (Special). 1-1 — Men fighting overseas as well as workers at home are awaiting to-morrow with more

at stake financially than on any Derby Day for the last 10 years. They have placed anything up to £250,000 with bookmakers in pre-post bets. One bookmaker says that they are doing the biggest Derby business for many years and bigger than average peace-time. People who once wagered in £5

and £10 arc putting on £30 and £40 at a time. Bulk of the money is on the first four favourites— Teheran, Garden Path, Growing Confidence, and Mustang. Most servicemen backed their fancies long before 'D' Day. They were careful to tell their agents not to send in an account in case they were not in England when the race was run. Racegoers already are leaving London for the meeting. Some of them are carrying haversacks with three days' rations. Many people are wondering whether it is right that even the greatest of all English races should

be run just now. Most, however, regard it merely as a tonic which will not interfere in the slightest with the people's war effort or war thinking. Moreover, the majority of British fighting men are interested in the race. Troops in Italy made urgent requests for the latest runers and prices, and bookmakers here have received manv commissions from prisoners of war in German camps. The Derby has been run every year without interruption since 1780. For four years last war and during this war it has been transferred, from Epsom to Newmarket