^^ Kettledrum.'" 129 



was, owed his victory in the Derby to the ill-luck that befel 

 Mr. Merry's candidate, ' Dundee.' Both colts were, as 

 yearlings, within an ace of becoming the property of Colonel 

 Towneley, and his estate agent and racing partner, Mr. 

 Eastwood. They had been sent up from Doncaster for sale 

 by Mr. Cookson from his stud at Croft, near Darlington, and 

 ' Dundee ' followed ' Kettledrum ' in the ring. Oates, who 

 trained for the Towneley-Eastwood confederacy, was in a 

 state of great anxiety until he had persuaded his employers to- 

 make a determined effort to secure ' Kettledrum ' (he was 

 knocked down to them for four hundred guineas), and was 

 frankly disappointed when they declined to bid for the other 

 lot as well. . . . ' Kettledrum ' was by ' Rataplan,' out of 

 ' Hybla,' by ' The Provost,' out of ' Otisina,' by 'Liverpool.' 

 The breeding theory on which Mr. Cookson chiefly relied was 

 that the sire should return to dam the best strain in her 

 pedigree. ' Hybla,' in accordance with this theory, required 

 the 'Whalebone' cross, and this, of course, ' Rataplan' duly 

 supplied. As a yearling, ' Kettledrum ' was somewhat heavy- 

 topped, and for that reason, several people looked askance at 

 him in the Doncaster sale paddock. When put into training, 

 he consequently required rather careful handling, especially as 

 he was a delicate feeder. It was not until the end of the July 

 of his two-year-old days that he was subjected to any strong 

 gallops. Nevertheless, at York, the following month, he 

 managed to win a race, but was beaten the same week, and 

 ran indifferently in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. In 

 truth, he was only partly trained ; and, the following season, 

 his preparation for the Two Thousand Guineas was interfered 

 with by dentition trouble. He was not, therefore, able to 

 display his powers to the full in the big race over the Rowley 

 Mile, for which he started second favourite, and finished 



