236 THE ENGLISH TURF 



John Porter began training for the late Sir Joseph Hawley 

 in 1863, and up to the end of last year (1900) he had won 

 for his various patrons a total sum of just about ;!^6oo,ooo. 

 As nearly as I can ascertain, the record was 961 races of 

 the value of ;^6oo,8o2. This is an enormous sum for one 

 establishment to win, but it must be borne in mind that all 

 Porter's patrons are breeders, and that the stable each year 

 has been recruited with a string of yearlings which have 

 been bred with infinite pains by such professors of the art 

 as the late Duke of Westminster, Lord Alington, and Sir 

 Frederick Johnstone, and which have never been made up 

 for sale. The late Duke of Westminster, who was Porter's 

 chief employer, was the most successful breeder of the last 

 two decades, and it was very seldom that the Eaton year- 

 lings arrived at Kingsclere without there being one or two 

 gems amongst them. From Ormonde to Flying Fox is not 

 a far cry so far as years are concerned, but during that 

 period an endless succession of Eaton-bred winners was 

 forthcoming. The Eaton stud is being maintained by the 

 young Duke of Westminster, though on a somewhat smaller 

 scale. It will in all probability hold its own in years to 

 come. Recently the Duke of Portland and Lord Crewe 

 have joined the stable, and now Porter has in charge some 

 of the produce of the Australian sire Carbine, who has been 

 standing at Welbeck for the last three seasons. What these 

 young Carbines will do has yet to be proved, and as two- 

 year-olds they failed to distinguish themselves, but in Porter's 

 hands they will be allowed time to mature, for the master 

 of Kingsclere is the most patient of trainers, and distinctly 

 averse to hurrying young stock before their frames are set, 

 and while they are still unfurnished. 



Kingsclere is situated in Hampshire, some sixty miles 

 from town, and the training gallops are all on down land. 

 In winter, if there is much rain, the ground becomes very 

 holding and spongy ; but in the summer, and especially in 

 times of drought, the going is superlatively good. In the 

 same neighbourhood, that is to say within a distance of, say, 

 twenty miles, there are many other training centres, such 

 as Danebury, Lambourn, Chilton, Ogbourne, and Ilsley, 



