SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



Hawley's, but it is beyond the fathoming of man 

 to say why a horse does well at one place and 

 badly at another when the treatment is practically 

 the same. 



Lord Westmorland, mentioned in connection with 

 the Hawley-Porter business, was a great friend 

 of mine, and many were the dealings between us. 

 His lordship was a man gifted with charming ways, 

 hut with all his urbanity he was a keen judge of 

 racing, though, at times, was too apt at gambling 

 on selling races — a proceeding, as the lady novelist 

 would say, fraught with peril. He had a very high 

 opinion of the merits of the jockey, Morris, who was 

 apprenticed to me, or rather my trainer, at the same 

 time as was Tom Heartfield, to my thinking one of 

 the best boys that was ever lifted into a saddle. 

 At the Warwick September Meeting of 1864 Lord 

 Westmorland wished Morris to ride his Practitioner 

 in the Shorts Handicap, wherein I was running 

 Hawkshaw. This was rather a " tall order," and I 

 demurred. " My lord," I said, " it's unreasonable. 

 I want Morris for Hawkshaw." " And I want him 

 for Practitioner. And I mean to have him." " Well, 

 he's my boy, and, my lord, as you talk in that tone 

 you shan't have hun." The subsequent conversation 

 was not of a complimentary character on either side, 

 but I think I had the better of the verbal argument. 



141 



