192 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



CHAPTER XII 



" The triumph and the vanity, 

 The rapture of the strife ; 

 The earthquake voice of victory, 

 It is the breath of Life." 



THE interim between the Two Thousand and the 

 Derby was filled with speculation as to the rival merits 

 of Pretender over Sir Joseph Hawley's Pero Gomez. 

 The latter had won the Biennial at Newmarket easier, 

 it was alleged, than Pretender had won the Two 

 Thousand, though it was quite true " Pero " had 

 nothing so hot as Belladrum to follow him home in the 

 Biennial. As before the Two Thousand, the old cry 

 was raised against Pretender that he was not 

 fashionably bred, that his mother was a very old mare 

 and very much the worse for wear when she produced 

 him, and that his Middle Park display made him 14 Ibs. 

 behind Derby form. John Day, one of the astutest 

 judges of racing, was of opinion Belladrum would 

 reverse the Two Thousand running with the Middleham 

 colt. He had seen every Derby since Mundig's year 

 (1835), and he had never seen a good pace yet, and 

 therefore entertained the opinion that Belladrum, who 

 could canter as fast as some of them could gallop, would 

 have enough in reserve when he arrived at the distance 

 to come away and show his tail to his opponents, 



