EARLY TRIALS. . 143 



tackle than another young one whose form has been clearly 

 proved in public Thus Sir J. Willoughby's Queen Adelaide, 

 when tried for the July Stakes 1883, gave 16 lbs. or 18 lbs. to 

 another two-year-old, Lord Byron, who was good enough to 

 win during the previous week the valuable Hurstbourne Stakes 

 at Stockbridge. In this case there were, as there should always 

 be, one or two old ones in to check the trial. 



Though tried much later in the year — in the month of 

 August— St. Louis could give Grace 7 lbs. and a good beating, 

 whereas Althotas was always a stone behind Grace, therefore 

 Althotas must have been some 21 lbs. worse than St. Louis, 

 who could moreover give a stone to the redoubtable Foxhall ; 

 and though somewhat travelling out of the record of two- 

 year-old trials, we may here mention, in confirmation of his 

 juvenile form that St. Louis could at three years give 10 lbs. 

 to an old horse hke Elf King, and 2 stone 7 lbs. to Don 

 Fulano, a contemporary, who ran third for the Two Thousand. 

 It was, in fact, in this trial that the fatal splint was developed 

 which effectually prevented St. Louis from ever displaying this 

 excellence in public; thus the inference is fair and clear, that 

 had he been a thoroughly sound horse, and could have been got 

 ready by Lincoln, nothing would have beaten him throughout 

 the season. And it may be laid down as a general rule, that if a 

 two-year-old in the month of March can get in front of a good 

 selling plater at 10 lbs. or a stone, he will win most of his early 

 engagements, and in all likelihood go on half-way through the 

 year, or almost up to Ascot, at which time, if in, or about, the 

 first class, the youngster will be expected to give a selling plater 

 a stone. Petticoat, who won the Brocklesby easily, and the 

 Lincoln Cup on the following day, could, when tried before that 

 meeting, only just beat Pretty Dance, a common plater, at 

 10 lbs., and yet her party fancied her, and backed her accord- 

 ingly. 



The Bard again is a case in point. Report saith that he 

 was tried at 10 lbs. with Kirk o' Field and beat her easily. 

 Whether report is right or not, though it is not imposing a great 



