JAMES MERRY 



macy on the part of Peck kept him out of the field, 

 and finally there was nothing but Toucques — a 

 very unworthy daughter of the famous I^a Toucques 

 — to beat, which the Russley horse managed to 

 accomplish by a couple of lengths, though he was 

 really completely untrained, and Tom Cannon must 

 have experienced a terribly anxious few minutes 

 before he landed him safely first past the post. 



Before quitting King of the Forest 1 may give 

 a striking example of one of the " certainties " that 

 did not come off, a full record of which, if obtain- 

 able, would doubtless fill a volume. In 1871 Mr. 

 Merry possessed a three-year-old named Sentry. ' 

 He was a little chesnut colt by Man at Arms out 

 of JNIaid Servant, stood a bit back at the knees, 

 had long weak pasterns, and, altogether, was about 

 as unpromising as could well be imagined. At the 

 Newmarket First Spring he was unplaced with 6 st. 

 7 lb. in a handicap plate across the flat, and was 

 then utilised to lead work for King of the Forest. 

 He went so wonderfully well in several gallops with 

 the crack, that Peck realised that staying was his 

 game, and, in a trial shortly before Ascot, over a 

 mile and five furlongs, he actually beat King of the 

 Forest by a neck, when in receipt of only 7 lb., 

 Rifleman, to whom he was giving 28 lb., being 

 many lengths away. The course over which the 

 Visitors' Plate at Ascot was then run was " once 

 round and a distance," or rather over two miles, 

 instead of a mile and a half as at present, and Sentry 

 was handicapped at 6 st. 9 lb. It seems extraordi- 

 nary that he should have been allowed to start at 

 10 to 1, but Mr. Merry's health was failing, and he 

 had ceased to bet in the dashing fashion which had 

 characterised his transactions in the Thormanby 

 and Dundee days. Sentry was ridden by W. Gray, 

 who had to put up a pound overweight, but his 



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