HERMIT AND ISINGLASS 



had done since he had broken his blood-vessel, 

 nine days previously. Hermit used to pull a bit, 

 and he got the best of the boy coming round 

 Tattenham Corner, fiiirly ran away with him, 

 and, the ground being as hard as iron, he 

 bounded over it like a cricket - ball. Chris 

 Fenning, who was standing with me, said : * Be 

 jabers, I never saw a horse go like that ! He 

 will win the Derby.' I told him it was the first 

 work Hermit had done for over a week, and, I 

 am afraid, stopped him from backing the horse. 

 No one knowing what I did would have thought 

 of doing so. Captain Machell had made up his 

 mind to run the horse, and wished Mr. Chaplin 

 to claim me to ride him. This he did, and the 

 matter was referred to the Stewards. They 

 decided, without calling me before them, that 

 Mr. Chaplin's letter to Mr. Pryor constituted a 

 release, giving the latter the right. As both 

 horses had broken a blood-vessel, they, however, 

 thought Mr. Pryor ought to waive it. That he 

 would not do ; so I had the mortification of 

 riding The Rake, and finding my horse dead 

 beaten coming round Tattenham Corner. At 

 that point I saw Hermit pulling Daley out of 

 the saddle, and I thought to myself at the time, 

 ' How I should like to change mounts ! ' as he 

 had literally won in a canter half a mile from 

 home. It was currently reported at the time 

 that I had lost money over Hermit's Derby. 

 This rumour was most incorrect, as the only bet 

 I had on that Derby was twenty ponies to one 

 about Hermit after I had won the Hurstbourne 

 Stakes at Stockbridge on him as a two-year-old. 

 This Mr. Chaplin insisted upon me having on, as 

 he had the money in hand through having my 

 usual two or three sovereigns with him, and being 



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