HERMIT AND ISINGLASS 



5 to 4 on him for the Two Thousand, which was 

 the first engagement he fulfilled as a three-year-old, 

 and these odds were brought off all right, although 

 Ravensbury was only beaten by three-parts of a 

 length. In the Newmarket Stakes the pair were 

 split by Phocion, but the extra quarter of a mile 

 was all in favour of Isinglass, and the three 

 lengths verdict was very easily gained. The 

 irrepressible Ravensbury was second to him both 

 in the Derby and Leger, and at Doncaster 

 Mornington Cannon, who was riding Mr. Rose's 

 colt for the first time, managed to reduce the 

 distance between him and his old opponent to half 

 a length. Isinglass's only defeat — sustained in the 

 Lancashire Plate at the Manchester INIeeting — has 

 generally been regarded as a fluke, but there are 

 excellent reasons for believing that this view is 

 erroneous, and that the form was right enough. 

 As I have mentioned in one of the chapters 

 dealing with the Duke of Portland's horses, his 

 Grace never thought that Isinglass would be able 

 to concede 10 lb. to Raeburn over a mile course, 

 and Captain Machell felt more than doubtful on 

 the subject, especially as he knew that Isinglass 

 would have to make his own running, a proceeding 

 to which he had a very strong objection. Indeed, 

 when the late Duchess of Montrose asked him 

 what she should back for the race, he counselled 

 an investment on Raeburn, and the advice was 

 followed with a highly satisfactory result. Possibly 

 a St. Leger preparation had taken the edge off 

 Isinglass's speed, but there could not have been 

 much amiss with him, for he beat La Fleche at a 

 difference of 6 lb. for the year. 



After this Isinglass had a long rest, and did not 

 carry silk again until the Princess of Wales's 

 Stakes in the following July. What I have 



251 



