MR ZVEGUINTZOFF 141 



Government and friends when buying blood stock in this 

 country, and when he did not come himself all such 

 business was left to me. There was never at any time the 

 slightest complaint, in regard to any animal bought, or any 

 account queried, and I shall always feel pleasure in the 

 thought that I bought Wisemac for the Russian Govern- 

 ment on my own judgment, for siring half-breds and 

 then, as we could not get him to Russia owing to war 

 conditions concluded to make him pay his way as a 

 Premium Stallion, which he did two years running the 

 second year in Surrey, where he left fifty-nine foals. 

 He was landed in Russia just at the outbreak of the 

 Revolution, and more's the pity, for he was a right good 

 horse. He had paid his way and had a small balance 

 to credit. 



An instance of the scrupulous integrity of Mr 

 Zveguintzoff occurs to me as touching Great Scot, 

 whom we had at Cobham, and as he had already sired 

 At Last, I was anxious to retain him, but he had to 

 come up at our sale, his owner having died. 



Mr Zveguintzoff wrote me that his Government had 

 sent a commission to buy Great Scot, and he thought 

 it best, as the sale was at Cobham, to leave this commis- 

 sion to Mr Tattersall and not to me. The result was 

 that I, who would have gladly given 2000 guineas for 

 Great Scot for several nominations, including two for 

 Admiral Meux, were booked for the following year 

 stopped at 950 guineas, and Mr Tattersall knocked the 

 horse down at 1000 guineas, I thinking it absurd on my 

 part to oppose the Russian Government. 



After knocking him down Mr Tattersall said : " You'd 

 have got him for another bid. That was my limit ! " 



So passed away the last real chance of making good 



