MR MANTASCHEFF 143 



stock should be addressed to Mr Leon Mantascheff, 

 jun. that is, to the son. Later on, when the young 

 gentleman became free to indulge his fancy, he did so 

 to some purpose, but never without a certain amount of 

 discretion. 



When he first created a sensation at the Newmarket 

 sales he wore an extremely wide-spreading plaid cap, 

 which was strangely conspicuous and had a curious 

 effect on several opposing bidders, one of whom was 

 incited to further efforts by his good lady. " Go on," 

 said she. " Don't be beaten by a man with a cap like 

 that ! " As a result, Mr Mantascheff was outbid for that 

 lot. 



Sir Mortimer Singer became involved in the atmos- 

 phere of antagonism to the remorseless cap, and he too 

 outbid Mr Mantascheff for a mare, giving between 5000 

 and 6000 guineas for her. " I know," said he, " I have 

 given about 2000 guineas too much, but I was deter- 

 mined not to be beaten by that man in the cap ! " 



And so it fell that Mr Mantascheff proved of incalcul- 

 able benefit to the sale, not merely on account of what 

 he bought, but of the prices which he drove others into 

 giving. He is a shrewd, amiable gentleman, and he 

 had the good sense to keep the bulk of his purchases 

 in France or England, so that, even there, he was not 

 so badly hit by the Revolution in Russia. He is racing 

 now in France and with well-deserved success. 



In Austria-Hungary there were always men entirely 

 acceptable in England who came over to buy blood 

 stock from time to time, and of none of them have I 

 such pleasant recollections as of Prince Louis Esterhazy 

 and Count Ivan Szipdry. The latter of these, long 

 years ago, rode in a Grand National, and he used to 



