no MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



for one with better forelegs. There was not, so far as 

 I could see, any sign that the Derby horse favoured one 

 hock more than the other in his walk, and no doubt 

 whatever feeling he may have had there has passed 

 away. 



Arthur Briggs was riding with the horses, and some 

 little distance behind came Mr Dawson himself in his 

 carriage, so that I had the invaluable advantage of his 

 opinion and experience in regard to the various horses. 

 Very soon his instructions were given, and the lot went 

 down alongside the ditch for a first canter. I could 

 not have arrived at Newmarket more opportunely, for 

 Ladas had been on the walking list for a fortnight. 

 This was his first resumption of more active work. In 

 a similar way I saw Donovan do his first canter, after 

 being a week off, in the spring of his year. 



We were standing just about the place where Mons 

 Meg settled Melody in that memorable Cesarewitch 

 trial which led to the Australian mare being so heavily 

 backed, and, as Melody was in form at the time, it is 

 clear that Mons Meg must have been a great mare that 

 day, for she had Melody beaten before half the distance 

 was covered. . . . No time, however, for these reflections, 

 for the horses of the moment had now commenced their 

 canter and would very soon be passing us. Roland 

 Graeme, Ravelston, Ladas and the Corinna filly such 

 is the order of the first four ; and it was at once apparent 

 that Ladas retains to the full his beautiful action, 

 which so forced itself on everyone's notice last year. I 

 never saw one shoot out his forelegs in quite the same 

 way. He is a regular daisy-cutter, without being in any 

 sense a paddling goer, indeed he covers an immense lot 

 of ground in his stride. 



