COMMON AT KINGSCLERE 69 



a horse or man as Jem Smith has found to his cost 

 and, to my eye, Common, with his somewhat gaunt, 

 lathy form, is far better as he is than if he were as 

 superficial judges would have him. 



" Standing on the best of legs, with back sinews like 

 bars of steel, Common boasts magnificent shoulders 

 with tremendous reach. High in the withers, his back 

 at first glance makes him look shorter of muscle than 

 he really is. Glance across his loins and back, with its 

 slight tendency to roach, and you will find that there is 

 no sort of real deficiency, while the vast stretch from 

 hip to hock tells of a length of stroke when he is fairly 

 extended which it would be difficult indeed to surpass. 

 Common is a nice, kindly horse, as well-mannered as 

 can be ; perhaps a little too inclined to be lazy, and for 

 this reason extreme care is exercised in riding off the 

 downs, lest in a sleepy fit he should fall while descending 

 the hill. 



" Having seen him also do a nice half-speed gallop 

 about one mile and a quarter with Ormuz and followed 

 by Blue Green, I can only say that, so far as appearances 

 go, the Leger is all over but shouting. Whether he is 

 a really great horse is another matter. He does not 

 require to be that. I apprehend that he will prove 

 amply good enough. It is well known that John Porter 

 has never regarded Common in the light of an exception- 

 ally high-class Derby winner ; indeed I believe that 

 his two-year-old half-brother, Goldfinch, is much better 

 than was Common at the corresponding period of last 

 year, and in this connection it is interesting to note 

 that Common, despite his excellent limbs as they now 

 appear, would not stand training as a two-year- 

 old." 



