"'SCEPTRE' WINS!" 



693 



lost, as, in Mr. Sievier's opinion, she travelled about 200 yards further than the 

 winners, far on the outside. In the Coronation Stakes at Ascot she was many 

 lengths behind when the horses came into full view, swept very wide round the turn, 

 and rushed up the hill in a terrific but unavailing effort to catch the leaders. The 

 next day she easily won the St. James's Palace Stakes from Flying Lemttr and 

 Rising Glass, under Hardy, the apprentice who had ridden her at Lincoln. Work 

 seemed to suit her temper and her appetite ; so she went to Goodwood, and was 

 beaten in the Sussex Stakes by Royal Lancer ; and after going a mile and a half 

 gallop the next day, and a sharp mile the one after, she proceeded to win the 

 Nassau Stakes in a canter (a mile and a half under 951. 8lb. in 2 min. 40 sec.), 

 and Hardy became 

 her recognised pilot. 



Her preparation 

 for the St. Leger 

 was full of rumours. 

 Some said she could 

 not stay. Others 

 said she was not 

 being trained rightly. 

 Meanwhile, Mr. Sie- 

 vier was taking her 

 over two miles (at 

 8st. islb.), led the 

 first five furlongs by 

 Silverhampton (6st. 6lb.), the next five by Doochary (7st.), and the last six by 

 Lavengro (8st.), and watching her beat the lot. He had also publicly issued a 

 challenge to the world that "Sceptre shall run any horse, at weight for age and 

 sex, for ,10,000, over from ij to i| miles." This was not taken up. She won 

 the St. Leger with the greatest ease. Ard Patrick, her most dangerous rival, had 

 gone slightly wrong, and as it seems fated that Irish-bred horses shall be unlucky 

 in the great Doncaster race, she had no difficulty in disposing of St. Brendan. 

 She looked fine drawn, and was evidently very fit, and very light-hearted, and 

 came home in a canter with her ears pricked, while the Tykes cheered as loudly 

 as when her sire Persimmon had been steered by Watts to victory over the same 

 course. Cheers and Cupbearer were both knocked out by Fowling Piece, whose 



VOL. III. I I 



" O 'Donovan /-fossa" (1897,) by " Donovan." 



