OVER A DISTANCE OF GROUND. 185 



that there was to be a reversal of tactics, and tliat St. Chrlstophe, 

 who was giving 5 lbs. instead of running with Verneuil at even 

 weights as in the Cup, would win. The fools in their folly 

 suffered accordingly. Much fame accrued to Jem Goater over 

 this threefold triumph. 



Verneuils proportions were so magnificent that they are 

 worth giving. He measured thus : — 



Height 



Girth 



Round cannon bone . • . • 



and his fore-feet were six inches across. 



Naturally he was much coveted by owners for breeding as 

 well as for racing purposes, and soon after his victorious Ascot 

 an American telegraphed to — ' Count Lagrange, Jockey Club, 

 Paris ' — offering ten thousand pounds for the chestnut. 



Unluckily for the Count he was seized with a serious illness 

 on his return to Paris, and was absent from the Jockey Club 

 for three or four months, during which time the hall porter of 

 that establishment never thought of forwarding the message to 

 the Count's private address, but calmly awaited his re-appear- 

 ance at the Club. He meanwhile had, through T. Jennings, 

 entered into negotiations with M. Cavaliero to sell Verneuil for 

 8,000/. to the Hungarian Government. It is not difficult to 

 imagine the delight of the owner on finding that the carelessness 

 of a club servant had caused a clear loss of 2,000/. 



' The Druid,' indefatigable in research, as he was incompar- 

 able as a turf-writer — perhaps, if we except Whyte-Melville, as 

 a sporting writer altogether — was able to furnish his readers 

 with accounts of several trials for the Ascot, or Goodwood, 

 or other of the great Cups. We have not been so fortunate 

 in our inquiries, possibly because these trophies are the object 

 of less keen competition than was formerly the case, or it may 

 be that the measure of the stayers is more accurately taken in 

 public. Whatever the cause, we have to confess that the only 

 trial for a recent event of this description which has come with- 



