MR. JOSEPH PARKER 12 1 



Northampton Cup Confidence of his new owner, but well beaten 

 Bird on the Wing Her chance in the Oaks Sam Rogers and Frank 

 Butler A revelation in fashionable jockeys Joins his uncle in 

 London ' The pace that kills ' Evenings at Owen Swift's Buying 

 a watch Skill with the gloves London ' life ' as it was A good 

 stock Excellent judgment of racing An objection sustained- 

 Jockeys and amateurs Nearly ' done ' by a welsher An instance of 

 enforced restitution His belief in condition Analogy from dog- 

 training Fights between ' Pincher ' and ' Bullet ' Admiral Rous 

 on Cedric's condition Mr. Parker's belief in Farce, and our part- 

 ing His life in retirement. 



THE gentleman of whose doings I shall attempt to give 

 some account in this chapter was not one who deserves 

 a prominent notice on account of high birth, or the 

 achievement of daring deeds by sea or land. Yet 

 he was a character who, in the racing world, stood 

 conspicuous for many virtues deserving of recogni- 

 tion. 



Mr. Joseph Parker was the son of a large farmer near 

 Chester, and a successful man in all his business under- 

 takings. He lived a curious life, and did many things 

 worthy of note outside of his career on the turf, with 

 which I was intimately connected. As we may, I think, 

 learn a good deal from his experiences in racing, I pro- 

 pose first to deal with the performances of some of his 

 horses, and leave his personal characteristics and his 

 doings in other directions for notice after I have said 

 what I have to say on the former topic. 



He commenced racing in partnership with Mr. Far- 

 ranee, an old friend of his, in 1849. In the following 

 year my father bought Joe Miller, at the Newmarket 

 July meeting, for them and Mr. Padwick, giving 300 

 for him. The horse was then about as big as a good- 

 sized foal, and remained a pony until the day of his 

 death, like most of the Venison produce, who himself, 



