232 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



hampered by some partner, wanted to sell the horse 

 for 10,000 guineas, and ultimately sold him for ^"1500. 



I cannot, however, forget how Mr Gilpin, years ago, 

 before the Boer War, when my old friend, the late Major 

 Dalbiac, wanted a likely chaser for a little money, sold 

 him Kozak, then four years old, for I don't know what, 

 but said he would make a good clerk if not a parson. 



Never was a better purchase made, but poor Dalbiac 

 went to South Africa and was killed at Senekal. He 

 had left the horse behind with me, saying he was too 

 good to take out there and get shot he would come 

 home and win the Grand National on him ; and I verily 

 believe that if Kozak had been kept for that purpose 

 it might have been possible ; but it was not to be. It 

 ended in me selling Kozak for 100 to Lady de 

 Crespigny for her to give as a birthday present to Sir 

 Claude. I remember they thought he was lame when 

 he arrived, but I should think he was the soundest 

 and hardest horse Sir Claude ever owned, winning 

 something like twenty steeplechases for himself and 

 his sons, apart from other work. Kozak was a cast-off 

 of Mr Gilpin's, but a right good one. 



To enumerate the great winners trained from the 

 Clarehaven stable (Mr Gilpin's) would be almost 

 tedious, there are so many of them, and the cry is 

 still they come, though that there will be any others as 

 good as Pretty Polly, Spearmint and Spion Kop it 

 would be rash to presume. There has been St Louis, 

 however, already. Mr Gilpin has been extraordinarily 

 successful in training long-distance winners, such as 

 Hammerkop, Clarehaven, Sirenia and many others. 

 He has invaded France and twice won the Grand 

 Prix, and he is happy in the possession of a son (Victor) 



