196 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



jumping, whereas Blair Athol had immeasurably more 

 racing quality, though goodness knows what he too 

 might have done had he been put to jumping. 



The suggested match has been of perennial interest, 

 for I remember that only a few short years ago that 

 dear, good man and best of sportsmen, the Rev. Cecil 

 Legard, wrote me that he and a hunting friend had 

 decided in favour of Gladiateur. 



On the merits of Gladiateur there can be no doubt 

 his handicap performances showed that ; but after 

 his year classic form was not wonderful Lord Lyon, 

 Hermit, Blue Gown and Pretender were followed by 

 Kingcraft as Derby winners, and though the last- 

 named was about the best-looking Derby winner I have 

 seen, he was certainly a bad one according to classic 

 standard. 



Lord Lyon, of course, became the sire of Minting, an 

 immeasurably better horse than himself, and Hermit 

 developed into a much greater stallion than he ever was 

 a race-horse ; but Blue Gown, whom we had at Cobham 

 for two or three years before he was sold to Mr James 

 R. Keene, and died in mid-Atlantic, was one of the 

 very worst stallions ever known in England, though 

 strangely enough he had made quite a success in 

 Germany. 



Pretender went wrong in his wind and did no good ; 

 but Favonius was a really fine horse, and it is wonderful 

 that with him and the succeeding Derby winner, 

 Cremorne great horses both the Sweetmeat line of 

 Gladiator, through Parmesan, did not go from strength 

 to strength ; but experience proves that nature defeats 

 all the most clever schemes of breeding, and, to the best 

 of my belief, there is not a single male descendant of 



