THE NOBLE ART OF BACKING WINNERS 2 1 I 



and speedy little Bard the same way in 

 the Derby. 



I remember a tremendous perform- 

 ance of his in one of the numerous 

 Newmarket biennials, in which he gave 

 stones to the very speedy Mephisto 

 over five furlongs, and left him standing 

 still. 



Doubtless, at Ascot, when Minting made 

 a race of it with him, and with Bendigo 

 close up, his wind infirmity was begin- 

 ning to tell upon him. In Ormonde, 

 Archer, and John Porter one got rather 

 a useful trio — horse, jockey, and trainer ; 

 and verily they took some beating. 



Without a doubt Bendigo and Victor 

 Wild have been the two most popular 

 handicap horses of modern times, and the 

 former is a striking example of a great 

 racehorse proving a great stud failure, 

 and I hope Victor Wild will do better. 



