68 IRiMno IRecollcctions an^ Uwvt Stones 



said that his colt had done a good preparation. 

 After I had pulled up I said to Mr. Dawson : 



" Well, of all the Derby horses I have ever ridden 

 this is the worst." 



He answered : " Wait until you get a pair of spurs 

 on him ; you'll find him a different horse." 



Of course I gave way to him, and thought it must 



be laziness, which he attributed it to. On my way 



home I saw Bloss's horses doing their work, and 



' Hermit ' was sent to canter a mile on the Derby 



course. This was the first canter he had done since 



he had broken his blood-vessel, nine days previously. 



' Hermit ' used to pull a bit, and he got the best of 



the boy coming round Tattenham Corner, fairly ran 



away with him, and, the ground being as hard as 



iron, he bounded over it like a cricket-ball. Chris 



Penning, who was standing with me, said : "Be 



jabers, I never saw a horse go like that ! He will 



win the Derby." I told him it was the first work 



' Hermit ' had done for over a week, and, I am 



afraid, stopped him from backing the horse. No 



one knowing what I did would have thought of 



doing so. Captain Machell had made up his mind 



to run the horse, and wished Mr. Chaplin to claim 



me to ride him. This he did, and the matter was 



referred to the stewards. They decided, without 



