A HORSE IN A THOUSAND 103 



and only remaining performance as a two-year-old 

 was still more extraordinary. This was his victory 

 in the Dewhurst Plate. It was, perhaps, only 

 natural, considering that Ormonde was already 

 challenging another public favourite for the place of 

 popular idol, that they should lay 11 to 4 on him ; 

 but he met a strong field, and in taking 100 to 14 

 about Miss Jummy (thrice a winner, and with the 

 Clearwell to her credit) and 100 to 9 about Gay 

 Hermit (who had beaten Modwena) backers had 

 reason on their side. Johnny Whimple, too, who 

 had won the Great Midland Foal Plate at Four 

 Oaks, was also in attendance, and had some sup- 

 porters who took $2) to l about him. In attendance, 

 indeed ! Ormonde treated them all alike, the three 

 penalised winners which have been mentioned as 

 well as the others, and cantered home a winner by 

 four lengths, the stable taking second money with 

 Whitefriar. Perhaps it was as well he ran but thrice 

 in his two-year-old period, and yet he accomplished 

 all he was asked to do with such splendid ease — 

 was on every occasion that he ran so much within 

 himself — one can forgive those who think it almost 

 a pity he did not run oftener, for he could not have 

 well failed to clear the board. His wintering at 

 Kingsclere gave the purveyors of reports from that 

 particular training quarter a long holiday. Similarly, 

 he set the most carefully analytical writers of winter 

 articles on the Derby a comparatively easy task. If 

 the pair who had won all their engagements had 

 only met, that task would have been simpler. Not 



