302 ashgill; or, the life 



mint was the only North-country representative against 

 Dutch Oven, Nellie, and St. Marguerite, who were 

 the accredited best fillies of the season, if Shotover, 

 who had won the Derby, running away, and 

 Geheimness, the Oaks victress, be excepted. Dutch 

 Oven was a 6 to 4 favourite, with St. Marguerite 

 and Nellie disputing the honours for second favouritism. 

 Peppermint, whose excellent performance in the 

 Great Northern Leger at Stockton had not been 

 overlooked when he defeated Zeus and Amalfi, starting 

 a 5 to 1 chance. Dutch Oven, before her York dis- 

 comfiture, had been backed down to 100 to 6 for the 

 St Leger. Naturally, after her defeat by Peppermint, 

 who, unfortunately, was not engaged in the great 

 Doncaster event, Matthew Dawson's hopes of winning 

 the St. Leger were dashed to the ground. One need 

 not dwell long upon Dutch Oven's triumph in the St. 

 Leger, which, indeed, was one of the greatest surprises 

 of modern times. Still, there was a section of backers 

 who clung to the idea that Archer and Dutch Oven 

 were " wrong 'uns " on the Knavesmire, this body of 

 enthusiasts being characterised by a well-known Turf 

 writer of the day as " idiots, who backed her with a 

 heedless persistency that entitled them to the most 

 thickly padded cell in Hanwell." The familiar term of 

 September being the " mares' month " had been proven 

 when Lady Golightly lost her form as much as Dutch 

 Oven did. Matthew Dawson commissioned a friend 

 to lay 1000 to 20 against Dutch Oven for the Leger, 

 in order to save £20 of the money for which he had 

 backed her, a fact which proved that the stable, with 

 Archer thrown in, had no idea of her revealing such 

 a marvellous revival of form between the Knavesmire 

 race and the chief event of the Town Moor, which she 



