PERCY PECK AND JOHN DAWSON 235 



Percy Peck is a son of Robert Peck, and he trained 

 for Sir Blundell Maple with much success, Childwick's 

 Cesarewitch being one of many notable victories. He 

 and Sir Blundell parted company from no fault on 

 Percy's part, but owing to a stupid quarrel between 

 Sir Blundell and his father a quarrel engineered solely 

 by female influence. I need not go into that, but can 

 record that since then Percy Peck has trained first-rate 

 winners, such as Cicero for Lord Rosebery, and has 

 now the charge of Lord Durham's horses, with which 

 he has won many races. 



Another old friend of mine at Newmarket is John 

 Dawson, but I knew his father and his Uncle " Mat " 

 so well that I cannot regard him as other than young. 

 Still it is a long time since he started training for the 

 late Lord Ellesmere, and he has gone on ever since, 

 popular and respected. He has paid no small attention 

 to breeding, and among his successes in that direction 

 Rambling Katie took high rank, while, to come to a 

 later date, Marcus and Trespasser are very well worthy 

 of honourable mention. His two sons did their part in 

 the war, and one of them was captured and imprisoned 

 in Asia Minor, the same camp where the Turks were 

 " spoofed " by vamped-up spiritualism, insomuch that 

 certain officers escaped. Mrs Dawson is a daughter 

 of James Waugh and, like all the breed, genuinely 

 good and true. They live at St Alban's House, built 

 by Uncle "Mat," whose favourite nephew John was. 

 Not a few happy evenings have I spent in that 

 house. 



I have embarked on a task in writing about the 

 older trainers which becomes formidable as it proceeds, 

 but I cannot close down the chapter without reference 



