126 KINGSCLERE 



length, Le Nord, who had been second to Surefoot 

 in the Two Thousand, being again in that place, 

 Orwell and Surefoot (who was fourth) finishing 

 together 'in a bunch.' Le Nord afterwards finished 

 1 nowhere ' in the Grand Prix. To pursue the 

 thread of the story so far as it concerns Sainfoin, it 

 may be pointed out that Derby form has a way of 

 vindicating itself, which is often more surprising to 

 even the average observer than it ought to be. No 

 doubt many of the backers of Surefoot and others 

 regarded Sainfoin's defeat of Mr. Merry's champion 

 as a sort of fluke. Well, the pair met again at 

 Ascot in the Hardwicke Stakes, over the Swinley 

 course, perhaps the most severe mile and a half in 

 England. On that occasion they backed Sainfoin 

 against the field, and took 2 to 1 about Surefoot. 



Although that grand horse, Amphion, conceding 

 16 lb. for his year, won the race by a length, 

 Sainfoin was second, four lengths in front of the 

 favourite for the Derby, thereby proving, as far 

 as repeated public running can prove anything at 

 all, that the finish for the Blue Riband of 1890 

 was no fluke. As to the character of his com- 

 petitors, measured through him or otherwise, 

 according to the taste or fancy of the appraiser, 

 Porter has nothing to say. About Sainfoin this. 

 He was good, honest, and useful, but about 10 lb. 

 beneath the highest class. 



Going back to 1889, and taking up one or two 

 dropped threads in the narrative, it may be mentioned 

 that Gay Hampton had been done with after he 



