168 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



the owner of Regalia, who had won the Oaks, 

 entered a formal objection with Mr. Richard Johnson, 

 the then clerk of the course at Doncaster, against 

 Gladiateur (who had also won the Two Thousand 

 and Derby) on the ground of being over age, 

 and requesting permission for Professor Spooner 

 and Mr. Baker, of Malton, to have the opportunity 

 afforded them of examining the colt's mouth. This 

 objection was made on the Tuesday before the St. Leger 

 and posted on the notice board in the ring. The acting 

 stewards decided as follows : 



"That in the face of the certificate produced before the Derby, 

 signed by the proper authorities in France, and other evidence as 

 to the identity of the horse, and also in the absence of any evidence to 

 the contrary on the part of Mr. Graham, they cannot comply with his 

 request. 



(Signed) " WARRINGTON AND STAMFORD. 

 " WESTMORLAND. 

 " FALMOUTH." 



" Argus," a Turf authority at the time, whose 

 lucubrations appeared in the Morning Post, rightly 

 took credit for the appeal he made to public opinion 

 on behalf of Count Lagrange, the owner of Gladiateur, 

 as a nobleman who had done nothing to forfeit the 

 reception he had met with in England from every class 

 of society. 



This same year John's mount in the Oaks was Wild 

 Agnes, the former inmate of Ashgill, sold by his father, 

 and which now ran for Mr. Thelusson. She started a 5 

 to 2 favourite with the Duke of Beaufort's Siberia, 

 beaten out of place, Wild Agnes running second to 

 Regalia, who, as above stated, carried him into the same 

 provoking position behind the Frenchman. Gladiateur's 

 triple " classic " was hailed by our mercurial neighbours 



