Mr. J. M. Richardson's Writings Collated 



racehorses of some importance, was another familiar landmark. 

 Perhaps the most striking figure of all, however, in the paddock 

 was that of David Hope Johnstone, whose stalwart form, clad 

 in the eccentric " get-up " he affected on these occasions, was 

 calculated to excite a feeling of wonderment, not unmixed with 

 awe, in those who beheld him for the first time. 



Paddock criticism — if one knows anything at all about a 

 horse — is occasionally not without its advantages. For instance, 

 last year I spent, according to custom, a good long time in the 

 paddock on the Derby Day, with the result that, at the end of 

 my inspection, I came to the conclusion that of all the candi- 

 dates for the Blue Riband which had come under my obser- 

 vation — and I believe I saw the lot — by far the fittest was 

 Signorinetta. A little later I met one of the most successful 

 of our trainers, and, discussing the race, I put the question to 

 him, " Why shouldn't the mare win ? " " The mare ? " he 

 repeated, "what mare?" On my naming Signorinetta, he 

 replied, to my astonishment, "Why, I didn't know there was 

 such an animal in the race." And it certainly was wonderful 

 that, though she had been on view every morning at New- 

 market for some time, going great guns with the string which, 

 by the courtesy of the trainer, she was allowed to join, and 

 who could hardly get out of her way, yet not a tout at head- 

 quarters was alive to the merits of the Chevalier Ginistrelli's 

 good little mare. That it was her fitness, and not her supe- 

 riority, which won Signorinetta the race I think there can be 

 no reasonable doubt. - 



A Good Tip. 



I do not think I ever witnessed a more exciting race for 

 the Derby than that of 1872, when Cremorne just got home 



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