212 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



class. The filly was not half herself when she won the 

 Derby, and she did much better in the Oaks ; a very 

 good filly no doubt. 



But I think Gay Crusader must rank higher, especially 

 as he won the substitute Ascot Cup ; and Gainsborough, 

 in my judgment, was better still, though Gay Crusader 

 may have been the more ideal racing machine, while 

 Gainsborough was suggestive of being good for any 

 purpose to which a light horse could be devoted. He 

 also won the Cup, and they are both sons of Bayardo. 



During this period it must be remembered that 

 Hurry On carried all before him, and there are abundant 

 signs that his stock will do great things. 



We come next to what I take to be one of the very 

 best that I have ever seen, and that is The Panther, a 

 perfect dream of a great horse. His Derby fiasco is 

 " wrapped in mystery," but that horrible experience 

 ruined him for racing. He had been backed for too much 

 money, and horses do not win in such circumstances. 



It fell to my lot to sell him to Senor Ignacio Correas,but 

 he would never have got the permit to leave this country 

 had he won the Derby, which he would have done with 

 certainty but for undisclosed obstacles. I question if 

 anyone ever saw such a good lot of foals as The Panther's 

 first. 



Grand Parade and Buchan in that year were, of 

 course, good colts, but not superlative like the son of 

 Tracery and Countess Zia. 



Then we have seen Spion Kop win the Derby in 

 record time, and I take him to be in many ways an 

 advance on his sire, Spearmint, though his lines were 

 not cast in equally pleasant places when he ran for the 

 Grand Prix. He was never at his best again until 



