48 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



precedes the Derby. It is then that the favourites have 

 to be fairly wound up for the great struggle, and every 

 morning on the Heath one may see gallops done which 

 are really worth looking at, while every afternoon and 

 evening one is sure to be told of some great trial, or of 

 the breakdown of a fancied candidate. Nowhere is to 

 be found such a variety of opinions as at Newmarket, 

 and the man who goes there with a view to finding out 

 what to back will presently find himself in a rare state 

 of confusion. Let him endeavour, for instance, to elicit 

 wisdom from those who may happen to be congregated 

 in the bar parlour of the Rutland Arms. One worthy 

 will assure him that Gouverneur will be about the mark, 

 while another will scornfully allude to the fact that 

 Gouverneur only beat Reverend on sufferance the other 

 day. " Mr Dawson fancies Dorcas," says another ; to 

 which comes the rejoinder that Dorcas, on public form, 

 " isn't within a stone of a good one." The Deemster 

 is mentioned with bated breath ; some say he is sure 

 to win, others declare him to be only moderate, while 

 others, again, hint at mysterious ailments with which 

 he is said to be afflicted. Then it is suggested that 

 Colonel North will win the Derby just because he is 

 Colonel North ; but against that it is said Simonian was 

 beaten in his trial on Wednesday. I venture, however, 

 to remark that Sherwood's horses always are beaten in 

 their trials, and that I pay small attention to the circum- 

 stances. One thing and one thing only appears 

 certain, that the Derby, this year, is a very open race, 

 and that there is no sort of reason why Common should 

 stand at so short a price as he does. 



