104 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



given me of seeing the horses stripped in their boxes, 

 and the first I interviewed was Orme. If I thought 

 him an improved horse on the Downs, when his cloth- 

 ing prevented any close inspection, ten times more did 

 I think him so now. He is immensely improved since 

 Goodwood. His loins and flanks are now sufficiently 

 muscular none of that weak appearance he had then 

 and any practical horseman who passes his hand over 

 him, as I was permitted to do, will find that he is as 

 hard and fit as a horse can be. The great raking 

 shoulders and fine depth of girth are well supplemented 

 now by his wide, powerful quarters, and the horse him- 

 self is as lively and hearty as possible. His legs and 

 back sinews are like bars of steel, and for my part I 

 don't want to look any further for the Leger winner. 



" But," says Lord Marcus, "they always have the 

 Leger winner in this box," and, sure enough, Common 

 did stand last year in the corner box where Watercress 

 now is. Watercress is certainly an extraordinary horse. 

 Such power and bone are rarely if ever seen. . . . One 

 thing I cannot like about Watercress and that is his 

 breeding. It is most unusual in any case to see such a 

 big, heavy horse stay, and when he is by Springfield 

 out of a Hermit mare the improbability of his doing 

 so is almost overwhelming. . . . There is pretty sure 

 to be a strong pace throughout, as this is needed for 

 Sir Hugo and the Duke of Westminster's champion 

 (Orme), who stays for ever, and goes best when kept 

 on the stretch from end to end. 



Last of all I inspected La Fleche, who, though she 

 seems small to an eye that has just taken in Watercress, 

 has none the less grown somewhat since Epsom, and is 

 in the best possible health and condition. Such a kind 



