334 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



Rosebery holds the platform, and there is no reason 

 why he should not continue to hold it, for he will, I 

 hope, see the produce of Spion Kop, from his best 

 mares, making a great mark on the Turf. 



When I was at school, Lord Rosebery was at Christ 

 Church, Oxford, and owning a Derby horse, Ladas, at that 

 time. I remember well looking up to him with reverence. 



This original Ladas was not much use, and it says 

 much for Lord Rosebery that he ever ventured to give 

 another and obviously good horse the same name, which 

 he did long years after, and won the Derby with him 

 perhaps the most really artistic triumph ever gained in 

 connection with the Derby, for he brought off the double 

 event of becoming the Prime Minister and winning the 

 Derby. There was a tremendous reception when he 

 led in Ladas on that occasion, and it was, of course, 

 more than equalled when the Prince of Wales led in 

 Persimmon two years later ; but never was there such 

 a reception as when King Edward led in Minoru, and 

 that was because he was the King. 



Lord Rosebery, as we have seen, has owed his success 

 mainly to Paraffin (by Blair Athol), whose daughter, 

 Illuminata, produced Ladas, Chelandry, Gas (dam of 

 Cicero and other winners). Others have come from the 

 Agnes family, through Bonnie Agnes, and some of the 

 old Mentmore breed did well for him. No man has 

 ever taken a more genuine interest in blood-stock breed- 

 ing or more fully understood the merits of a great 

 trainer like Mathew Dawson, though in his early days 

 he was a long time before he made good. Lord 

 Rosebery, though something of an invalid now, is still 

 young enough to breed one or two more Derby winners 

 and thus defy posterity to defeat him. 



