HERMIT AND ISINGLASS 



had done at Eltliam, so that the sensations which 

 were to be associated with ]Mr. Chaplin's colt may 

 be said to have begun there. Yearling trials were 

 far more common in those days than they are 

 now, and, in the December of the same year, 

 Hermit was asked his first question. Captain 

 JNIachell and Bloss must have formed a very 

 high opinion of him, for he was set to give 35 lb. 

 to Problem, a yearling filly by Newminster out 

 of Triangle, who also belonged to Mr. Chaplin. 

 They were put together over half a mile on the 

 top of the Bury Hills, and the colt won two 

 lengths. A couple of months later Problem won 

 the Brocklesby Stakes from a field which included 

 Jeanie Deans, Narino, Phantom Sail, Bounceaway, 

 and seventeen others, and, when she followed this 

 up by beating Hippia at Northampton, it was quite 

 evident that Hermit was something altogether out 

 of the common. Captain INIachell did not hesitate 

 to support his opinion in very substantial fashion, 

 and one night at Long's Hotel backed him for the 

 Derby to win £45,000, and also took 20,000 to 

 1000. The late Duke of Hamilton came in whilst 

 some of these wagers Vvcre being booked, and 

 presently remarked, "Pooh, you don't call that 

 betting ! I'll lay 30,000 to 1000 against Hermit, 

 once, twice, three times, four times, five times, or 

 six times." The Captain was not the man to 

 refuse such a challenge, and promptly booked the 

 colossal bet of 180,000 to 6000. A large sum was 

 offered to cancel the bet, but Captain Machell 

 refused to take it, and declared the bet off some 

 time before the Derby took place. It would have 

 been a very bad bet for the layer, as Hermit 

 once touched something like 4 to 1 for the race, 

 and, although he started at a knocked-out price, 

 his chance was almost universally considered to 



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