io8 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



to find out, if I could, what was the matter. I quote 

 now from what I wrote at that time : 



" The Sportsman" 6th March 1894. 



THE first half of the double event which I gave last 

 Saturday has come off ; Lord Rosebery is Prime Minister, 

 and all good sportsmen, of whatever shade of politics, 

 will join in congratulatimg his Lordship. Nothing that 

 could possibly occur would be more for the good of the 

 Turf than that a man who has been chosen almost 

 unanimously as successor to Mr Gladstone should have 

 been identified with racing since his college days ; and 

 should Ladas win the Derby it will establish a record 

 which will be of infinite benefit to Sport viz. that a 

 Prime Minister has at last secured the Blue Riband of 

 the Turf. Even the most pronounced Tory must hope 

 that Lord Rosebery will remain in office until after 

 Derby Day, and one may trust that there will be no 

 faddist so inveterate as to resist an adjournment of 

 the House of Commons for Derby Day this year. So 

 obvious is it that Lord Rosebery has struck a vein of 

 luck that I am strongly inclined to think that the second 

 part of my double will come off, and 



LADAS 



will win the Derby. But it is not prudent to say the 

 least of it to trust to luck, so let us go to Newmarket 

 and have a look at the horse. 



I found Mr Dawson on Monday evening looking 

 much better for his visit to Bath; indeed he is quite 

 well in himself, though his feet trouble him somewhat. 

 He has not had any serious cause for alarm about 

 Ladas. The colt twisted his off hock probably in 



