THE DUKE OF PORTLAND 



enough to have been far more interested in the portraits of 

 race-horses, past and present, with which the walls of the 

 Duke''s own particular sanctum are literally covered. It is 

 unnecessary to enumerate them ; but, of course, St. Simon 

 figures in two or three of them, and there is also an excellent 

 statuette of him in a prominent place in the dining-hall. Nor 

 must I forget an admirable portrait of Mowerina. " The best 

 servant I ever had," said the Duke, and, suiting the action 

 to the word, " I always take my hat off to old Mowerina."" 

 Then there is a picture of Red Deer with Kitchener up, and 

 just above it, in a glass case, hang the identical cap and jacket 

 that the pigmy wore when he rode the colt in that historical 

 Chester Cup. 



It may be imagined that the summons to lunch was no 

 unwelcome one (we had started at 7 a.m.), and we had scarcely 

 taken our places when the receipt of a telegram enabled the 

 Duke to make the announcement of Mr. Harry M'Calmonfs 

 victory for the Newmarket Division. The cheering that rang 

 out all round the table was as spontaneous as it was hearty, 

 and, when it had subsided, the Duke, with all the generous 

 enthusiasm of a good sportsman for a great horse, whether 

 owned by himself or by a friendly rival, called for " One 

 more cheer for Isinglass ! " We were just the party to give 

 a fit response to such a call, and then the Duke wrote and 

 despatched the following wire : " The members of the 

 Sporting Press assembled at Welbeck offer their warmest 

 congratulations to Mr. M'Calmont on his election." With 

 such a send-off as this, need it be said that luncheon was 

 the merriest of meals, and it was a light-hearted company 

 indeed that re-entered the carriages and drove to the boxes 

 and paddocks. Our host acted as pioneer, and took us 

 through the splendid covered riding -schools, where horses 

 can get sufficient exercise to keep them in the best of health, 

 and are really independent of the weather. The size of both 

 is enormous, and attached to the second is a covered tan 

 gallop, which must be upwards of a quarter of a mile in 

 length, and in which it really seems as though it would be 

 possible to give a couple of yearlings a regular Yorkshire 

 gallop, though, as a matter of fact, it would scarcely do to 

 let them go too fast, or run the risk of their overpowering 

 their boys. 



We first made the round of the boxes, and then the sires 

 and yearlings, the former singly and the latter in batches, 



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