THE PRINCE OF THE T.Y.C. 



memorable one. He was a horse for whom I 

 personally always entertained the greatest admh'a- 

 tion, and I was, therefore, naturally anxious to 

 do him full justice. The task, however, was one 

 that was fraught with unusual difficulties. His 

 owner, unhappily, put an end to his own life 

 soon after Prince Charlie finished his racing 

 career, and Joseph Dawson, who trained him 

 for all his engagements, and in whose name and 

 colours he invariably ran, has been dead for 

 many years. Then Tom French, who rode him in 

 so many of his engagements, has also long since 

 gone over to the great majority. Others who had 

 mounts upon him at different times were Hunt, 

 John Osborne, Cannon, and Parry, but experience 

 has taught me that jockeys are seldom able to be 

 of much assistance in giving interesting little 

 details with regard to a horse. They ride him in 

 a race, and, if he requires any peculiar handling, 

 can, of course, tell you all about it, but details 

 of his stable management, trials, etc., are no 

 business of theirs, and they are naturally ignorant 

 of them. Quite by accident, however, I dis- 

 covered that William Greaves, whose name has 

 been well known in connection with training 

 stables for some forty years past, was head lad 

 to Joseph Dawson during a great portion of the 

 time that Prince Charlie was an inmate of the 

 Bedford Lodge stables, and though he left there 

 shortly before the Derby of 1872, I am indebted 

 to him for all the early history of one of the 

 speediest horses that ever trod the Turf. 



Prince Charlie, who was by Blair Athol out 

 of Eastern Princess, was bred and owned by Mr. 

 Jones, a farmer of Littleport, and was brought 

 to Bedford Lodge as a yearling by a labourer in 

 a smock-frock. Joseph Dawson was away from 



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