BLUE GOWN'S DERBY 47 



Porter. He said : ' I shall start all my horses, and 

 if Blue Gown is the best on the day he will win ; 

 but I declare to win with either of the other two.' 

 In fact, as Porter himself expresses it, Blue Gown 

 was started for the benefit of the public. Wells, 

 who had the choice of mounts, decided to ride the 

 •Gown.' His sturdy partner in the Champagne 

 Stakes had never been otherwise than sound and well. 

 They knew each other ; and no doubt the jockey 

 concluded, not without some cause, that he was the 

 best judge of how much he had in hand when he 

 got home first at Doncaster. Besides, if he could 

 win on Blue Gown, would not that be a glorious 

 sequel to the Doncaster mishap, and a perfect 

 condonation of the offence ? 



After the trial, some visionary account of which 

 was, no doubt, evolved by the discomfited spies, and 

 despatched to their multitude of clients, the Derby 

 was more talked about than ever. Members of the 

 trainer's family were frequently compelled, in rail- 

 way carriages and other public places, to hear John 

 Porter and his business canvassed, and invariably by 

 persons who referred to him as though they knew 

 and had been on intimate terms with him from his 

 earliest boyhood. On one occasion Mrs. Porter, 

 after enduring with extreme annoyance a conversa- 

 tion relating to her husband's business and intentions 

 until she could bear the infliction no longer, effec- 

 tually silenced the inventive chatterers by simply 

 informing them that she was — Mrs. John Porter. 

 It was, however, reserved for John himself to play 



