2i 4 TRAINERS WITHOUT TRAINING 



credit before the world for qualities which they never 

 possessed. Of a few such men I propose to give some 

 account. The brothers Stebbing William and Henry 

 deserve notice in this way. Their father lived at New- 

 market, and for many years was a barber. It was here 

 the sons were brought up, if they did not in early life 

 take part in the same business. William soon became 

 an adept in the mysterious art of betting, and his 

 successes enabled him to join a brother professional, 

 Mr. B. Green, in forming a racing stud, with his 

 brother Henry acting as trainer at Hambleton, in 

 Yorkshire. The three commenced racing with a small 

 stud in 1846, about the time Lord George Bentinck left 

 the turf. In the following year this increased fourfold, 

 and they had some thirty horses, or more, in training 

 as they called it. At this time they had, amongst other 

 good animals, Assault, Flatcatcher, and Beverlac, as 

 two-year-olds, to do battle for their respective engage- 

 ments in that and the following years. In this the 

 adage ' that it never rains but it pours ' was singularly 

 confirmed ; for all three were good horses, and carried off 

 triumphantly almost every engagement in the first year, 

 winning large stakes for the stable. In the following 

 year they were equally lucky in another way, for all three 

 horses, after being favourite in turn for the Derby 

 throughout the winter, added more to their coffers by 

 not winning that race which everyone but themselves 

 thought they were secure of than by all their previous 

 victories. At all events, this was the popular version of 

 the matter at the time, and most likely the correct one. 

 No doubt the defeat of Shylock in the Derby was a 

 severe blow to them, though they did not lose on the 

 race. The next year things did not improve with them. 

 They relied on Lady Superior to win back their lost 



