TOM JENNINGS 55 



last two only were being tried ; and we are further 

 informed that Gouverneur tired dreadfully at the finish 

 of his gallop on Saturday, though we saw him with 

 our own eyes clean settle two of his stable companions, 

 Pre"tendant II. and Royal Robe II., and go on to the 

 bitter end as full of running as a horse could be. - What 

 nonsense all these men talk, to be sure ! We may not 

 find the actual winner ourselves, but let us hope to avoid 

 falling into drivelling folly of the kind alluded to. 



A CHAT WITH OLD TOM JENNINGS 



Mr Jennings, sen., at any rate is worth listening to, 

 and he can talk to some purpose when he gets fairly 

 under way. He has no Derby horse himself this year, 

 and can therefore speak without prejudice except, 

 indeed, that Gouverneur is trained by his son. Mr 

 Jennings is very far from being one of the foolish persons 

 who will tell you for certain what will win, but he seems 

 to be very fond of Dorcas, and expresses the opinion 

 that she would run much better with a man on her 

 back, such as John Osborne. Mr Jennings tells us of 

 Gladiateur and of his extraordinary trial when he beat 

 the four-year-old Fille de 1'Air at eight pounds like 

 a common hack. Certainly Gladiateur was a wonder, 

 and it was never more clearly shown than in the Ascot 

 Cup, when he was very infirm, and his jockey durst not 

 ask him to gallop till turning up the hill for the finish. 

 Then, it will be remembered, he made up his ground 

 like a flash of lightning and soon left Breadalbane and 

 Regalia struggling in the rear. It was commonly 

 thought that Gladiateur was a dead failure at stud, but 

 he sired one horse at least Hero, to wit as good as 

 himself. We pass on from talk about past Derbys to 



