THE RECORD YEARLING 233 



speed certain parting guests who wanted to get away 

 sharp. 



While we were there someone came in, who said a yearling 

 had jus: been sold for 4100 guineas. His words seemed to 

 u c as an idle tale. Six yearlings, the property of Mr R. H. 

 Combe, were to come up after the Company's, but there 

 was nothing sensational among them at least so we 

 thought. Very soon, however, the story was confirmed. 

 The colt by Macaroni out of Duchess had indeed realised 

 4100 guineas, Robert Peck and Sir Robert Jardine having 

 opposed one another with astounding pertinacity, until 

 the former's bid of an extra 100 guineas after the 4000 

 guineas proved successful. This was for many years 

 the record auction price for a yearling. Peck was lucky 

 in finding the Duke of Westminster ready to take the 

 colt (Maximilian) off his hands, for he turned out a very 

 disappointing horse. He ran once only as a two-year-old, 

 unplaced ; and did not start at three years. 



As a four-year-old, however, he ran nine tunes and 

 won four, his best performance being when he carried 

 7 stone 7 Ib. for the Liverpool July Cup, and won by a neck 

 from the favourite, Glendale, 7 stone 12 Ib., New Laund 

 and eight others. He cannot therefore be regarded as 

 having been an utter failure, after the manner of many 

 other high-priced ones. Robert Peck made a better 

 purchase, however, for 1000 guineas that same afternoon, 

 when he secured also out of Mr Combe's lots the colt 

 by Lord Clifden out of Weatherside. This was the 

 Reefer, who won the Chester Cup in 1879, and a good 

 many other races. 



The above will serve to give some impression of how 

 the Stud Company Limited was flourishing in those far-off 

 days. I had increased my holding in it and had made the 

 acquaintance of Mr Hume Webster, the managing director 

 of the Credit Company, who was arranging an advance 

 to the Company for the purpose of paying off Mr Coupland's 

 25,000 debentures, then about to fall due. This was done 

 all right on the basis of another debenture issue, which 



