220 PROFESSIONAL HARDSHIPS. 



opinion. The intention of the proposed change, it should be 

 added, had been to deceive one of the most harmless of old 

 men, Mr. Isaac Sadler, who was incapable, I am sure, of doing 

 an ungentlemanly thing, although his lordship could not be 

 persuaded to think so. In the result, all kinds of rumours got 

 afloat, which though quite unsubstantiated were nevertheless 

 detrimental to the reputations of honest men. I remember 

 a Glasgow merchant who, in twelve or fourteen years, em- 

 ployed as many trainers and dismissed them all through 

 caprice ; but it stands to reason that all of them could not be 

 justly accused of neglect or excess of duty. And his treat- 

 ment of jockeys was the same ; rarely one rode for him again 

 after the first defeat, even though the Derby itself had been 

 the latest victory. In no single case was a reason given for 

 this unfair treatment. 



It may be thought that the ruin of many persons which 

 followed as a necessary consequence in this instance was ex- 

 ceptional ; yet if we were to search for them, analogous cases 

 might, I suspect, be found, although sufficient has been 

 quoted to show the changeability of owners. I may, how- 

 ever, mention a few of my own experiences durmg the last 

 thirty years as a public trainer of racehorses. 



As a matter of fact, I have never been told why many of 

 my numerous employers removed their horses, except on one 

 occasion ; and that was for recommending a gentleman to 

 take a mare out of training — he having seen with his own eyes 

 over and over again, both in public and private, that she was 

 good for nothing as a racehorse. He would not be convinced 

 and removed her with the rest of his horses. But he never 

 won a race with her afterwards, although large sums of 

 money were staked on her when lightly weighted and in bad 

 company ; but even so she failed to obtain a place. He 



