SAINFOIN 125 



who had at that time just commenced racing, 

 showed unusual judgment by expressing a wish to 

 purchase Sainfoin. As Porter could do nothing in 

 the matter without consulting his partner, he re- 

 quested Sir James Miller, in the meantime, to make 

 an offer for the horse, pointing out at the same time 

 that Sainfoin was engaged in the Dee Stakes at 

 Chester, the Derby, and other races. The in- 

 tending purchaser said he was willing to give 

 6,000/. for Sainfoin, and half the value of the 

 Derby if he won. On conferring with Sir Robert 

 Jardine, the latter left the matter entirely at 

 Porter's disposal, and the horse thereupon changed 

 hands. Sainfoin, it may be remarked, resembled 

 Ormonde in so far as he was never tried for the 

 Derby. His races were his trials. He ran in Sir 

 James Miller's colours in the Dee Stakes, reduced 

 to a match between him and the Duke of Beaufort's 

 Bull's Eye, to whom, under the conditions, he was 

 giving 1 st. 2 lb., and won by half a length. As to 

 the Kingsclere outlook in the Derby that year, well, 

 Porter was the reverse of sanguine. He thought, 

 on the rough doctrine of Derby chances, that Sain- 

 foin had a good fair 'look in,' but no more. The 

 unexpected occurs often enough in the experience 

 of a trainer, but, like the majority of those who had 

 weighed up the race, he was persuaded that Sure- 

 foot could not lose. As to backing Sainfoin, well, 

 he took six ponies about him, once. They laid 95 

 to 40 on Mr. Merry's colt, and took 100 to 15 about 

 Sainfoin, who won the Derby by three-quarters of a 



