184 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



Mr. Howard always turned a deaf ear to the 

 tattle of the race-course, which is so often untrue, 

 and at times causes a breach between owners and 

 trainers, but not if the owners are strong minded 

 and judge for themselves. For instance, a report 

 was started that the present Duke of Devonshire 

 intended having a private trainer. As soon as 

 His Grace heard of it he wrote me, saying : 



"In case it comes to your ears that I am likely 

 to change my trainer, I want to be first to tell you 

 I know nothing of it whatever, and cannot think 

 who started the report. I am perfectly satisfied, 

 and thank you for all you have done for me." 



I'm sure my brother trainers will agree with me 

 that such thanks from employers, appreciating the 

 anxious and worrying times one often goes through 

 before the horses reach the starter, play no small 

 part in the trainer's success. 



Mr. Buchanan wired me in 1908 to know if I 



could take a couple of horses for him, viz. Acclaim 



and Mountain Apple, which I told 



Mr. 



Buchanan's him I would be pleased to do. One 

 hor56s 



of the first I bought for him was Tres- 



SADY by Persimmon out of Simplify (Turbine's 



dam), bought as a yearling at Doncaster ; but he 



developed navicular disease. Had he not done 



so I am sure he would have turned out one of the 



best horses I ever trained. He was beaten as a 



