AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 153 



I don't remember of her having thrown any- 

 thing great. King Arthur would be winning 

 races for us in '64. My father sold him to Lord 

 William Powlett, who died that year, and he 

 bought him back, after which he went steeple- 

 chasing and won a few races.'* 

 In the autumn of 1864 Mr. Padwick imported into 

 the South from Ashgill the magnificent Wild Agnes, 

 <( regardless of costs." According to all existing opinion, 

 Wild Agnes, then a two-year-old, had only to winter 

 well to win the Oaks of the next year, an estimate of 

 her quality that was not realised, though she had been 

 the belle of the season and as much sought after as 

 ,any heiress. For a time old John Osborne was as " firm 

 as a stone wall " in his resolution not to part with her, 

 but the diplomacy and the cheque book of " The 

 West," who was a short time thereafter to be one of the 

 leading actors in the great Marquis of Hastings drama, 

 prevailed in the end, and Wild Agnes was handed over 

 to the care of John Kent, who had recommenced 

 training at Drewitt's with fifteen of Mr. Padwick's 

 yearlings. 



Continuing his narrative, John recites 



" On the 31st July, 1865, my father died. He 

 had been ailing for a long time. At the subse- 

 quent sale of the stud a horse called Xi realised 

 the highest price. He was not Ashgill bred, but 

 my father bought him as a yearling from Mr. 

 Milner, of Middledale, Kilham. He had never 

 been beaten up to the time we sold him. He 

 was a useful horse for Sir Joseph Hawley, 

 winning him several races, and a match or two, 

 I think. 



" The whole of the Ashgill establishment was 



