HANDICAPS 119 



hall, as he only won by a short head, and the gallant 

 mare cantered home with her ears pricked. That 

 good horse Best Man was a strong favourite in 1895 

 in spite of the 9 st. he had to carry, but he could only 

 get second to Marco (7 st. 9 lb.), who was probably 

 much the best of the three-year-olds of his season. 

 The handicapper in 1896 committed a grave error in 

 letting- in so o-ood a colt as Winkfield's Pride with so 

 little as 6 st. 10 lbs., and of course the horse had no 

 difficulty in winning. 



The Liverpool Autumn Cup and the Manchester 

 November Handicap are other races which may be 

 mentioned. Sterling, the sire of Isonomy, won the 

 former with 9 st. 4 lbs. in 1873, a great achievement, 

 especially considering that the minimum weight at this 

 time was 5 st. 7 lbs. Master Kildare, the sire of 

 Melton, won in 1879 (8 st. 13 lbs.), and Melton 

 (9 St. 3 lbs.), following in his sire's footsteps, was 

 successful next year. Lady Rosebery, who had a great 

 partiality for this course, won in 1888 (5 st. 12 lbs.) and 

 again in 1890 (5 years, 7 st. 8 lbs.), being successful 

 also the following year in the Spring Cup, another 

 instance of "horses for courses" ; and in 1893 La Fleche 

 ended her Turf career, with the exception of one essay 

 a little later at Manchester, by a brilliant success with 

 9 St. 6 lbs. Belphoebe won both these races in 1878 ; 

 Carlton's Manchester performance with 9 st. 12 lbs. 

 in 1887 has already been mentioned, and Ravensbury, 

 who would have had such a brilliant career on the 



