278 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



his sire, or he could not have won, but it was weight- 

 carrying power that got him home and gained him his 

 pre-eminence. He is now at Mr W. Young's stud in 

 Uruguay and is, I hear, in very great favour. 



Handicapping by weight has always seemed to me 

 to be a most fallacious test since we saw the three-year- 

 olds See Saw and Blue Gown finish first and second 

 for the Cambridgeshire carrying 8 st. 2 Ib. and 9 st. 

 respectively. See Saw was the better weight-carrier of 

 the two, but neither was conspicuous in that way, and 

 Blue Gown certainly did not stand more than 15*2! h.h. 

 It is all very well to say that action carries weight, 

 and those two carried it in that race, but one like 

 Minting would have packed another stone and lost 

 them, nor would this have been any proof of superior 

 class. 



Among horses of no great size who have carried 

 big weights successfully in handicaps, Isonomy is con- 

 spicuous. In the matter of his size, John Porter once 

 told me that when Isonomy was sent to Kingsclere, 

 as a yearling, he was instructed to train him for early 

 races as he was never likely to do much good later on. 

 However, as we know, Isonomy thickened and became 

 robust, though he was never a big one, and he certainly 

 illustrated the maxim that " action carries weight." He 

 was, in fact, a wonder in that respect ; but I have always 

 doubted whether he was really a horse of the best classic 

 form. 



John Porter, like all trainers who have had many 

 great horses through their hands, would sometimes in- 

 cline to Isonomy, but not often. He would branch off 

 into preference for Rosicrucian, who was really his 

 idol, and then jump on to Ormonde, Orme and Flying 



