AGAIN AT BECKHAMPTON 153 



won the Princess of Wales's Stakes in grand style 

 at the Newmarket July meeting of 1903, and 

 Count Lehndorff, who was present, and much im- 

 pressed with the performance, then authorised Mr. 

 AlUson to buy the horse for 20,000 gs., giving Mr. 

 Gubbins the right to run him for his other weight 

 for age engagements that season. 



Mr. Gubbins agreed to these terms, and though 

 Mr. Allison had not a scrap of paper from Count 



^^ ^ Lehndori! to confirm the oi!er, he did 



The honour 



of Count not hesitate to stand on the Count's 

 Lehndorff 



well-known honour and reputation, so 



that the sale was announced to the Press an 



hour or more before the race for the Eclipse 



Stakes. 



As a matter of fact Count Lehndorff had 

 left Newmarket hurriedly for Germany after 

 giving the verbal instructions to buy, and had 

 been travelling about in that country without 

 getting the letters and wires that were sent 

 after him. 



We often hear it said that such and such a 

 man's word is as good as his bond, but most people 

 in business prefer the bond all the same, and it 

 speaks volumes for the spotless character of the 

 good old Count that his mere spoken word was 

 good enough to stand for 20,000 gs. in England, 

 and in the purchase of one horse. 



