GALOPIN AND PETRARCH 



long list of winners of the "blue ribbon" have 

 gained their laurels with more consummate ease. 

 It would have been well if Petrarch had never 

 gone to Ascot. Certainly he won the Prince of 

 Wales's Stakes on the Tuesday, and the style in 

 which he gave 5 lb. to Julius Ceesar, who had 

 finished in front of him in the Derby, conclusively 

 showed that his Epsom running was all wrong. 

 His defeats on the Wednesday and Friday, 

 however, created a very unpleasant impression. 

 He had really nothing to beat, and yet made no 

 sort of show in either race. From physical 

 reasons he was always a very uncertain performer, 

 and so much might not have been made of the 

 episodes had there not been some very sensational 

 gambling upon these two races. The late Lord 

 Dudley only made a bet at rare intervals, but 

 when he did it was a very big one, and he un- 

 luckily selected these two engagements for a 

 "plunge" upon Petrarch. Moreover, he was by no 

 means satisfied that the colt had been beaten on 

 his merits, and there was a delay in the settlement 

 of his account, though, of course, everything was 

 ultimately adjusted satisfactorily. After three races 

 at Ascot Petrarch naturally required a rest, and his 

 only other appearance that season was in the St. 

 Leger. For this event odds of 2 to 1 were laid on 

 Kisber, who, however, never looked to have a 

 winning chance, and Petrarch avenged his Derby 

 defeat. Still it was not a very satisfactory per- 

 formance, as he only got home by a neck from 

 Wild Tommy, a very big King Tom colt belong- 

 ing to the Duke of Hamilton, who was not only 

 extremely moderate, but a bad roarer into the 

 bargain. 



Between his St. Leger victory and the beginning 

 of the following season Petrarch passed into the 



272 



