CHAPTER VIII. 



The Duke of Hamilton — The St. Leger of 1876 — A Great Struggle 

 between ' Wild Tommy ' and ' Petrarch ' — ^The Breakdown of 

 ' Fantastic' in the Derby of 1863 — Count Batthyany as Owner, 

 Jockey, and in the Ring — A City and Suburban Trial. 



Y last, but certainly one of the best, 

 of my employers who had a claim 

 on me was the Duke of Hamil- 

 ton, for whom I rode nine seasons. 

 About my earliest success in the 

 *' French grey and cerise" was in the Criterion 

 Stakes on 'General,' in 1870, and I finished by 

 winning the last two races I ever rode on ' Lolly- 

 pop,' in 1879. During that period the Duke had 

 some good horses. The late John Scott trained 

 ' General,' but, although he was a smart two- 

 year-old, he turned out a very soft, middling horse 

 afterwards. I used to ride a oreat deal for his 

 Grace in France, and he was fairly lucky across the 

 Channel. On one occasion I went over to Baden- 



