GLADIATEUR 



the paddock in his very early days, and, when he 

 came in to be broken, Charles Pratt, who had 

 charge of the Count's horses in France, found a 

 very big and ugly enlargement on one of the joints 

 of his off fore -leg. The veterinary surgeon who 

 was consulted on the matter wished to fire him as a 

 yearling, but Count Lagrange would not hear of 

 the adoption of such an unusual course until it 

 was sanctioned by Jennings, who made the journey 

 from England on purpose to examine the leg. 

 His dictum was entirely against firing in this case. 

 " No," he said to Pratt, " let nature take its course ; 

 don't take any notice of the enlargement, or know 

 it exists. Go on with him in the regular way, and, 

 when he is so lame that you can't do anything with 

 him, I will come over again and see what's to be 

 done." 



The result proved the wisdom of the trainer's 

 judgment, for this enlargement was merely an 

 eyesore, and never gave any trouble ; but the horse 

 always suffered from navicular disease, and was 

 lame, on and off, all through his career, which 

 makes his extraordinary performances all the more 

 marvellous. He doubtless inherited this unsound- 

 ness from his dam. Miss Gladiator, who was always 

 a hopeless cripple, and could never be trained. 

 Jennings has always been a firm believer in year- 

 ling trials, and the five-and-twenty or thirty young- 

 sters that Count Lagrange owned each year used to 

 be " asked a question " in the forest at Compiegne. 

 The rides there were not wide enough to run more 

 than four or five together, so they used to be 

 galloped in batches, being gradually weeded out 

 until three or four of the best had been discovered, 

 these being then taken to Chantilly for a more 

 formal trial on the race -course. In 1863 the 

 survivors of these preliminary examinations were 



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