GLADIATEUR 



than anything else, as Count Lagrange ran nothing 

 at the meeting except the two-year-old, Auguste. 

 The illustrious cripple at home was left in charge 

 of the head lad, an eccentric and self-willed 

 individual, but one who thoroughly understood 

 his business, with injunctions to give him plenty 

 of walking exercise if his lameness wore off, but 

 on no account to attempt anything more with 

 him. When Jennings arrived home from York, 

 almost afraid to ask for news of Gladiateur, he 

 was met by his factotum with the cheerful assur- 

 ance that "the big horse is all right, and IVe 

 given him a couple of canters." It may be 

 imagined that the rebuke for this direct breach 

 of orders was pretty strongly worded, but it failed 

 to produce the smallest effect on the stolid head 

 lad, who was thoroughly satisfied with his per- 

 formance, and simply remarked, " If I don't know 

 when a horse ought to have a canter, I'm no use 

 to you." Still the colt, if apparently sound one 

 day, would be very " dotty " the next ; indeed, he 

 was so sore and lame on the Saturday before the 

 Leger that Jennings almost decided not to take 

 him to Doncaster. Nor did he show much 

 improvement when he got there, and he moved 

 so feelingly in a canter on the Town Moor on the 

 Monday before the race that Ben Bartholomew, 

 who watched the performance, went straight away 

 home, saying, " I won't stop to see that horse break 

 down." Easily as the triumph which gave him 

 possession of the '•' triple crown " was achieved, he 

 really won the St. Leger on three legs, and would 

 never have been started for the Doncaster Stakes 

 on the Friday but for a misapprehension. During 

 the morning it was believed that Breadalbane was 

 the only other runner, and an arrangement had 

 been made by which Mr. Chaplin was to receive 



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