WITH THE RANGER TO PARIS 13 



had been tampered with, thereby preventing the 

 winner from drawing the proper weight. In the 

 following year Merry Hart, 4 yrs., 7 st. 6 lb., 

 compensated owner and stable for their disappoint- 

 ment by winning the City and Suburban from a 

 big field, and at the handsome price of 20 to 1. 



No owner saw more of the ways and work of the 

 subject of this page of early biography than the late 

 Lord Westmorland. Porter reckons him among 

 his first, his kindest, and most appreciative friends. 

 Hearing that Mr. Savile was in want of a trainer, 

 Porter waited on his Lordship, and said he thought of 

 applying for the berth ; whereupon Lord Westmor- 

 land adjured him to ' do nothing of the kind,' adding, 

 1 1 have something else much better than that in 

 store for you.' The advice of Lord Westmorland 

 was followed, and Porter remained on at Findon. 

 It fell to his lot as manager to accompany The 

 Ranger to Paris to superintend that comparatively 

 famous horse's starting in the Grand Prix (the first 

 year it was run), with James Goater as the jockey. 

 The horse was stabled under the same roof as Lord 

 Strathmore's Saccharometer. Those who recollect 

 The Ranger are aware that in the slow paces his 

 action was anything but taking. When Lord 

 Strathmore saw him on the course the day before 

 the engagement, he remarked to Porter, rather 

 scornfully, ' Why, the beggar cannot even trot ! 

 Ignoring this not over-intelligent disparagement, 

 Porter replied, ' Never mind that, my Lord ; he can 

 eat! It was well known to the English contingent 



