UPON TRAINERS. 209 



charge, like Venison, who could thrive on any amount of 

 galloping, and they had it to their heart's content. But of the 

 colts and fillies got by Bay Middleton, which belonged to Lord 

 George Bentinck, and passed through John Day's hands, a vast 

 majority broke down from overwork before they came to the 

 post at all. When Gaper, who gave John Scott the greatest 

 fright of his life in Cotherstone's Derby, left Hampshire as a 

 yearling and was handed over to the Kents at Goodwood, the 

 master of Danebury thought that the horse's legs would never 

 stand training ; yet under the able management of the Kents, 

 he started twenty-one, and won nine, times, and was still sound 

 when taken out of training. The truth is, that when old or young 

 John Day got hold of a hardy animal like the Hero, Virago, or 

 Lecturer, they brought him or her to the post fit to run for a man's 

 life. But in the severe system adopted at Danebury as many 

 horses gave way as under the Chifneys. As an instance, we 

 may mention the case of Oulston, by Melbourne out of Alice 

 Hawthorne, who was probably the best horse of his year, except 

 Wild Dayrell. Oulston belonged to Mr. Padwick, and was 

 trained by old John Day at Findon. He was laid against 

 steadily for the Derby, as the public fancied him and stood 

 him for a lot of money, his owner believing all the time that 

 he had as good or a better horse in St. Hubert. After the 

 Derby, for which Oulston did not start, he was pulled out for 

 the Queen's Vase at Ascot, with the expectation that his sup- 

 posed want of condition would stop him, and that he would 

 run last. To the consternation of his owner and trainer, the 

 horse was never headed and won in a canter, squandering five 

 competitors. Young John Day not unnaturally conceived that if 

 Oulston when in no condition was so good, he could make him a 

 2 1 -lb. better horse after a few weeks at Danebury. Accordingly, 

 he induced the late Mr. Elwes to give Mr. Padwick 6,500 guineas 

 for the spanking son of Alice Hawthorne. The horse passed 

 into the Danebury stable, and might as well have passed into 

 his grave. For the Ebor St. Leger he met and was easily 

 beaten by Wild Dayrell, who carried 6 lbs. extra for winning the 



