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fought out by St. Frusquin and Omladina, the former 

 winning by half a length. Persimmon was beaten some 

 lengths from the pair, and his subsequent running suggested, 

 nay proved, that this was not his true form. The stable 

 cannot have entertained the idea that much was wrong, or 

 the horse would hardly have started favourite, but I saw for 

 myself that he could not live with the other pair up the hill 

 from the Abingdon Mile Bottom, and, as far as I know, no 

 special excuses were forthcoming for his defeat, though there 

 was afterwards a general rumour to the effect that he was 

 amiss. That he had been amiss a week or ten days before 

 is well known, otherwise it had been intended that he should 

 have run at Kempton Park in the very race in which St. 

 Frusquin was beaten on the previous Saturday, and I have 

 little doubt that he had not quite recovered. He had been 

 heard to cough when at exercise in the Middle Park week, 

 and under any circumstances the running in the Middle Park 

 Plate may be wiped out. In the following spring St. 

 Frusquin won the Two Thousand Guineas, but Persimmon 

 did not run before the Derby. In that race he beat St. 

 Frusquin (who was of course favourite) by a neck, and, what 

 is more, he had always a little the best of it from the bell to 

 the winning-post. Not an hour after the race T. Loates, 

 who rode St. Frusquin, told me that Persimmon was beating 

 him all the way from Tattenham Corner, and that he never 

 felt as if he could do better than make a good fight of it. 

 The pair met again in the Princess of Wales' Stakes at 

 Newmarket, over the Bunbury Mile, a rather severe course 

 with a steep hill just before the finish. Persimmon this time 

 had to allow 3 lbs., and St. Frusquin beat him half a length. 

 I was actually on the course (where I had no business to be) 

 while this race was run, and I have always thought that St. 

 Frusquin's victory was in a small measure, but not of course 

 entirely, due to the fact that Loates got first run. The pair 

 and Regret had well cleared the others before half the hill 

 was breasted, and when the leaders were about 1 50 yards 

 from home and both jockeys sitting still, Loates suddenly 

 pushed his horse for all he was worth. In a moment St. 

 Frusquin got the half-length he won by, and in a bitter set-to 



