THREE- YEA R-OLDS. 157 



luck, that both colt and filly should have subsequently run 

 second in their respective races, the Derby and Oaks, though 

 the placing of Pretender first in the former race was one of 

 the few sentences pronounced by Judge Clark which has not 

 met with universal approval. 



It has already been stated that Sir J. Hawley was in favour 

 of trying three-year-olds as much as possible at weight for age 

 with the old ones ; but he once told General Pearson, who 

 agreed with this theory, that ' if the young one won, you should 

 put it down as 7 lbs. against him on his appearance in public,' 

 and on the General asking why, Sir Joseph replied, ' I can't tell 

 you why, but so it is.' We must suppose that he either meant 

 that it took 7 lbs. to discount the sanguine propensity and 

 vanity of ownership, or else that the old ones are 7 lbs. better 

 out than at home. 



Sir Joseph was a shrewd judge, but he had his moments 

 of weakness (even Mr. Chamberlain, that 'sea-green incor- 

 ruptible ' of modern days, is reported to have said that it is by 

 no means necessary to practise in private what you preach in 

 public), and once when the Leybourne Baronet went down 

 to Benham— the seat of Mr. Sutton— to try Merry Wife with 

 Gardevisure for the Cambridgeshire of 1865, the pride of pro- 

 perty led him astray. There were four in the trial altogether, 

 the two mares probably running at the 1 1 lbs. the handicapper 

 had placed between them, and at the finish half a length only 

 separated them, but that half-length was against Gardevisure, 

 who had lost three lengths at the start, and who had afterwards 

 obtained possession of the lead, but failed quite to stay home. 

 Colonel Pearson thereupon ventured to remark that she ought 

 by rights to be credited at the end with the three lengths she 

 had lost at the beginning, more especially as she had made up 

 her ground in the first quarter of a mile, when the pace was a 



real ripper — which sounds rather like common sense. ' D 



your excuses,' replied Sir Joseph ; ' where your mare is, mine 

 will be ; ' but he was all wrong, for Gardevisure won and 

 Merry Wife was nowhere. After this trial Gardevisure went 



