CONTENTS xiii 



PAGE 



tures — His treatment and discipline at Kingsclere —Advantages of 

 such training to the boy — Jockeys — 'Where are they?' — The jockey's 

 position and emolument compared with the trainer's — A suggested 

 and much-needed reform — Wells and Sir Joseph Hawley — Wells's 

 walk over — Wells's tailor — Trainers — John Scott — Thomas Dawson 

 — Matthew Dawson : ' a great trainer ' — Joseph Dawson — William 

 Goater — ' The ten best horses ' — Teddington a weak foal — Birming- 

 ham another — Fisherman's stoutness — Gladiateur's age — St. Simon . 207 



CHAPTER XIV 



Touts, horse-watchers, ' training reporters ' — A highly respectable voca- 

 tion — The tout made amusing — Another side to the question — Porter's 

 protest in ' Bell's Life ' — A stable-boy tampered with — ' A backer 

 of horses ' retained for the defence — The tipsters of the circulars the 

 first employers of training reporters — Burlesque reports from train- 

 ing quarters — A specimen — The cost of thrashing a tout — ' Necessary 

 evils' — The serious side of the question . . . . . .241 



CHAPTER XV 



A native's opinion of the Downs — Other opinions — Gleanings from their 

 ancient history — Sporting from the beginning — The researches of 

 Messrs. W. Money and T. W. Shore — King John at Freemantle 

 Park — A royal sportsman and breeder of running horses — The sport- 

 ing Duke of Cumberland at Cannon Heath — Eclipse — A font for a 

 horse-block — Rescued by Porter — Burghclere : William Cobbett — 

 Steventon : Jane Austen — Laverstoke mills — The robbery of bank- 

 note-paper ........... 250 



CHAPTER XVI 



The Prince of Wales's visits to Kingsclere — Other visitors to Park 

 House— -Lord Russell of Killowen and Sir Henry Hawkins on the 

 Downs with Porter — Sir Henry's fox-terrier 'Jack' — The missing 

 Bishop — Distinct advantages of the Downs as a training ground — 

 The beauty of animated nature on the Downs — A Conservative 

 rookery — The trainer's troubles — 'The North Pole' — Coursing — 

 Fox-hunting : full-cry after ' Pat ' — ' The Kingsclere Farmers' Meet- 

 ing ' — Never again ! — Gamekeeper and poacher — A temporary 

 attachment — Demonstrations and festivities — Lost and found on 

 the Downs 266 



