NEWMARKET OPINION 131 



Although he won in a canter, and was giving 

 the second twenty-one pounds, the trying tackle was 

 so moderate, that the opinion formed of his chance 

 of winning the Two Thousand was anything but 

 sanguine. 



Newmarket is notorious for its reluctance to 

 admit that there can be anything good or good- 

 looking in 'the stranger.' On the other hand, all 

 the Newmarket geese are swans or swan-like. For 

 once in a while, however, the critics of a Two 

 Thousand candidate appeared to have good reason 

 for their opinion when they said, as they satirically 

 did, that Common was well named. That, however, 

 was before the race. Handsome is that handsome 

 does. The French colt, Gouverneur, whose private 

 reputation had preceded him, was made a hot 

 favourite at 5 to 4, Peter Flower was second in de- 

 mand at 3 to 1, 13 to 2 was taken about Orvieto, 

 while Common's price was 9 to 1. To the amaze- 

 ment of ' Newmarket,' Common won, as some of the 

 disappointed critics vowed with more bitterness 

 than truth, in a common canter by three .lengths, 

 the favourite finishing nowhere. He was not tried 

 again between the Newmarket and Epsom Summer 

 Meetings, but meanwhile Gouverneur had renewed 

 the confidence of his party by winning the Grande 

 Poule des Produits at the Paris Spring Meeting. It 

 rained drenchingly enough on the Derby day, both 

 before the race, when the horses were at the post, 

 and while they were running, to encourage a half- 

 expectant hope in the breasts of those who had 



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