THREE- YEAR-OLDS. 163 



back in the betting from 1 4 to 40 to i ; undoubtedly she could 

 not stay, but her terrific turn of speed pulled her through ; for 

 she was going well within herself when they began to collar 

 the stiffest part of the ascent, and she would have had it all her 

 own way had it not been for Nu, who was popularly supposed 

 to have been ' readied ' for this event. 



The most remarkable feature of the whole transaction is, 

 that the Ilsley party, if such a thing had been possible, would 

 have gladly substituted Lord Lyon, two years, for the mare, three 

 years ; for as far back as August 17 of that year he had been 

 tried with her three-quarters of a mile at 10 Ibs. (8 st. 7 Ibs. and 

 9 st. 3 Ibs.), and he had beaten her in such a canter that they 

 thought him her equal at even weights, and they knew he 

 stayed better ; more especially did they scoff at the possibility 

 of Gladiateur, then first favourite for the Cambridgeshire with 

 9 st. 12 Ibs., giving him 3 st. 10 Ibs. The effect of the race, 

 had they needed any further witness, was to make them sure 

 of winning the Derby of 1866. 



A hint as to trying, and particularly as to trying on short 

 courses, may be here usefully interpolated. 



Always send some trustworthy person to the post to start 

 the horses ; owners are far too apt to forget this necessity. They 

 place themselves and the trainer at the winning-post, a friend 

 or a head lad half-way ' to see how they are going there,' and 

 they leave the jockeys to get off as best they can, and give 

 such account of the start as they choose. This practice, 

 though never safe, may not be so dangerous at Newmarket, 

 where the services of thoroughly experienced riders are always 

 available ; but in country quarters, with stable-boys up, it is 

 simply fatal, and can only end in frequent discomfiture and 

 loss of money. 



Achievement, as we have mentioned elsewhere, was never 

 tried again in private after her first question as a two-year-old, 

 and Hippia had only had a good rough gallop with the four- 

 year-old Tourmalin before the Oaks, wherein the Baron's filly 



M 2 



