62 KINGSCLERE 



quarters' — the First Spring — the Craven at Good- 

 wood, beating Vespasian, with whom he was running 

 on equal terms, and carrying off the York Cup. 

 Agility, 3 yrs., 7 st. 4 lb., came in first, beating 

 Rosicrucian by a head ; but Wells objected to 

 Agility on the ground of a jostle, and the Stewards, 

 after investigation, decided that the jostle was 

 proved and that Rosicrucian was the winner of the 

 Cup. Agility was a good deal more than 'smart,' 

 as her victories that year proved. Rosicrucian's 

 final victory that season was in the All- Aged Stakes 

 at the Newmarket Houghton Meeting. Reduced 

 to a match between him and Formosa, Siderolite 

 (4 yrs., 8 st. 10 lb.) won the Gold Vase at Ascot, 

 the mare, carrying 2 lb. more, being beaten by a 

 length. A Queen's Plate at Lewes, another at 

 Lichfield also, with a couple of bloodless victories, 

 fell to the share of this son of Asteroid and Aphrodite. 

 ' Prince Pless's Blue Gown ' obtained winning 

 brackets once out of six attempts in 1870, the horse 

 being returned twice in the ' Calendar's ' list of 

 winning horses, first as M. Andre's, for receiving 

 forfeit, and then, as owned by Prince Pless, when 

 he won a handicap plate — top weight, of course — 

 at the Newmarket Houghton. 



During John Porter's connection with Sir 

 Joseph Hawley as his private trainer ' they never 

 had a wrong word.' He was constantly kind and 

 considerate, and took the warmest personal interest 

 in the trainer, in whom he reposed unswerving con- 

 fidence, and also in the welfare of every member of 



