628 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



is accurate. Beadsman sired Bhie Goivn, Rosicrncian, and Green Sleeves, and the 

 winter of 1867-8 was one of the most anxious Porter had yet passed. The Derby 

 that followed proved as memorable as any of the four Sir Joseph won, and the 

 doubling of the population of the United Kingdom since that date has not sufficed 

 to bring a bigger crowd than when Blue Gown won in 1868. 



Other owners began by this time to associate themselves with Porter's work. 

 One of them was Sir Frederick Johnstone, who purchased Xi from old John Osborne 

 conjointly with Sir Joseph Hawley. As a trustworthy trial horse this proved a 



difficult one to beat, and it was on Xi 

 that Wells carried the colours for the 

 first time after Blue Gown had been 

 disqualified for the Champagne Stakes. 

 About 1 869, too, the notorious Walter, 

 from the Swan Inn, Kingsclere, was 

 publishing his " Racing Circular," and 

 starting his " Discretionary Invest- 

 ment " bubble which was decisively 

 pricked by Dr. Shorthouse in the 

 same paper which published, entirely 

 without its editor's sympathy or know- 

 ledge, an article severely reflecting 

 on Sir Joseph Hawley 's conduct and 

 character. When the apology was 

 read in Court, Mr. Straight began 

 with the words " High Toryism, 

 High Churchism, High Farming, and 

 Old Port for Ever," which is still 

 the motto of that excellent publication, "The Sporting Times;" and General Peel 

 nearly fell off his chair with laughing. But the doctor was imprisoned in 

 Holloway for an article which he never wrote, refusing to give up its author's name. 

 All these matters drew a great deal of public attention of course to Kingsclere, 

 where in 1876 Mr. F. Gretton had a yearling by Sterling out of Iso/a Bella 

 by Stock-well, which Porter bought at the Yardley sale for 360 guineas. This 

 turned out to be the great honomy, who transmitted his quality and stoutness to 

 hinglass and Common. Any sort of ground seemed to suit him, and he was very 



l$v permission of" Country Life." 



John Corlett, Esq. 



