THEODORES ST. LEGER. 27 



and woke the brown horse up with a sharp appHcation of the 

 spur. Theodore, however, needed Httle waking up ; he was as 

 fresh and hvely as a kitten, and strongly resented these pointed 

 observations of Mr. Jackson. Then came the parade before the 

 race. The favourite, Swap ; Mr. Watt's Mandayne filly, Marion ; 

 and Mr. Gascoigne's Comus colt attracted most attention, whilst 

 poor Theodore passed almost unnoticed in the crowd. 



But before describing the race it will be as well just to notice 

 the position of the favourites. Mr. Powlett's Swap was first 

 favourite, and started at the short price of 6 to 4. About a 

 month previously Swap had been the subject of some very mys- 

 terious operations. A gentleman whose reputation stood quite 

 high in the sporting world received a letter by post purporting 

 to come from Mr. Powlett, informing him that Swap had fallen 

 lame, and commissioning him to lay against the horse at once. 

 This he did accordingly to a considerable amount, at Tattersall's, 

 on the 15th of August. When, however, he shortly afterwards 

 arrived at York, he found that he had been the victim of a 

 * plant.' Mr. Powlett indignantly pronounced the letter to be a 

 forgery, and Swap was at once reinstated in his position as first 

 favourite ; but the unhappy victim of the swindle was a loser to 

 the tune of 1500/. At York races rumours were circulated that 

 Swap was not a three-year-old, having been born on the 27th of 

 December ; and it was hinted that, should he be first past the 

 post, this objection would be raised against him, and would 

 prove fatal. Nevertheless he kept his position firmly in the 

 market. Ajax was second favourite at 6 to i, and Mr. Watt's 

 Mandayne filly third favourite at 7 to i. Theodore was at the 

 bottom of the -list ; indeed he was not mentioned in the quota- 

 tions, though on the previous Saturday 500 to 5 had been taken 

 once about him. He had run well as a two-year-old ; but his 

 career as a three-year-old since the York Spring St. Leger 

 Stakes, which he won, had been a failure, and he had been 

 so badly beaten a few weeks before that he was considered to be 

 quite out of the race. William Croft, in whose stable Theodore 

 was trained, had tried the horse and found him wanting. It 

 was decided that Theodore should not start, and that Jackson 

 should ride the best of the stable, Mr. Gascoigne's Comus filly 

 or colt, when a letter from a backer of Theodore, remonstrating 

 with Mr. Petre for his intention of scratching him, made that 

 gentleman resolve to run the horse. Speculation raged fast and 

 furious ; hundreds of thousands of pounds depended on the race ; 



