172 THE GOODWOOD STABLE IN 1845. 



many occasions to desist from this practice on 

 the eve of a big race, particularly in the case of 

 Miss Elis, who was always a difficult and deli- 

 cate mare to train, and who had disappointed 

 us more than once by not running up to her 

 trial. As the Goodwood Stakes drew near in 

 1845, for which Miss Elis was handicapped at 

 5 stone 7 lb., Lord George, having already backed 

 her for several hundred pounds, was anxious to 

 have her tried with Discord, John o' Gaunt, 

 Naworth, and others, all of them capable of 

 getting the distance, and of telling his Lordship 

 to a certainty whether Miss Elis was good enough 

 to win the Stakes. For this purpose his Lordship 

 came to Goodwood, and I lost not a moment in 

 entreating him not to upset her by a trial when I 

 was able to assure him with confidence that she 

 would win in a canter if she came to the post as 

 well as she was then. It was a vast responsibility 

 for me to assume, and great was the difficulty I 

 had in persuading his Lordship to abstain from 

 trying her. At last, however, he consented ; and 

 my words, " The Goodwood Stakes will only be an 

 exercise gallop which will not prevent her from 

 winning the Cup next day," were fulfilled to the 

 letter. Never before had I ventured to remonstrate 

 so earnestly with his Lordship ; and although I had 

 little fear of her being beaten for the first race, it 

 was a great relief to me when, as I anticipated, she 

 " made hacks " of all her opponents. 



