ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



despatched by that means. Appended is the inscription 

 on Grand Flaneur's hoof now in Dr. Cook's ownership. 



HOOF OF 

 MR. HENRY BRAGG'S 



GRAND FLANEUR, 

 Winner of the Portland Plate 



at 



Doncaster 



iu 1873 (23 ran), and in 1875 (25 ran). 

 He ran in public 116 times 



and 

 won 35 races. 



Grand Flaneur, towards the end of his doings on the 

 flat, was dubbed " The Believing Officer." When his 

 owner was having a " bad time " the veteran was 

 brought out, and often enough filled the reduced 

 exchequer of Mr. Bragg, who, although he left a com- 

 petency for his family, did not die wealthy. He never 

 forgave the late Tom Green, dubbed " The Napoleon of 

 Selling Platers," for bidding heavily against him in a 

 selling race at Stockton, in which Grand Flaneur was 

 not even second. Up went the bidding until it reached 

 700 guineas, Green sticking to his guns as if he meant 

 to have " The Relieving Officer." " I never thought this 

 of you, Tom," expostulated Mr. Bragg, " you know he 

 is not sound." " Not sound! " ejaculated Green; "well, 

 all I can say is, if he's sound enough for you, he's sound 

 enough for me." Mr. Bragg stayed the longer in the 

 bidding, but it cost him 750 guineas to retain his 

 gelding, this being a bitter pill to swallow after a bad 

 day, and for which he had to thank Tom Green. 



Through the cruelty of a stable lad, Grand Flaneur 

 lost one of his eyes in the early stage of his career. A 

 very high-couraged animal, he resented ill-treatment by 



