CHAPTER XII 



THE GREATEST OF GREAT MARES 



A Good Gambler A Cheap Purchase Sceptre's Slight Trouble before 

 the Derby Her Rapid Improvement Sceptre at Work Sceptre 

 and the Cinematograph Her Alarm at the Sound and her 

 Owner's Anger A Phonograph wanted Her Defeat in the 

 Derby That Gallop enables her to win the Oaks 



I DON'T think I am wrong in giving the above title 

 to Sceptre, whose history is a comparatively recent 

 memory, though few people ever realised that Mr 

 Sievier became possessed of her by being what is called 

 a " good gambler, " with nerves of steel. When the late 

 Duke of Westminster's yearlings were coming up for 

 sale at Newmarket, the present Duke, who was away in 

 South Africa, had instructed his agent to buy any of 

 them that John Porter wished to retain. Mr Sievier, 

 on the other hand, who had had a good win over The 

 Grafter in the City and Suburban, deposited ^"20,000 

 with Mr Tattersall overnight much to that gentleman's 

 embarrassment and said more would be forthcoming 

 if wanted. 



In the early stages of the sale Mr Sievier bid with 

 such vigour that the Duke's agent had to give 9500 

 guineas for the yearling Cup-bearer. Then came in 

 Sceptre, for whom the bidding was equally vigorous, 

 until the alarmed agent went round to Captain Machell 

 and asked if he might consult him. He had got instruc- 

 tions from the Duke to buy what John Porter wanted, 

 but he*could not think that the Duke, in South Africa, 

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