H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES 



a very easy one, but it was performed in such 

 unexceptionable style that many good judges at 

 once marked him down as the most likely winner 

 of the next year's Derby. Then came the 

 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, in which he 

 again had very little to beat, although His 

 Reverence, Spook, and Devoue had all won on 

 the last occasions of their appearing in public. 

 Prior to Goodwood it had been determined to 

 ascertain of what Persimmon was really capable, 

 and he beat Ugly, then a three-year-old, over five 

 furlongs at even weights. This was a very high 

 trial, indeed, for Ugly had won at Hurst Park a 

 short time previously, and the value of it was 

 considerably enhanced when he carried off the 

 Singleton Plate at Goodwood with 7 st. 7 lb. in 

 the saddle. There is not the least doubt that 

 Persimmon never ought to have been started for 

 the Middle Park Plate. He had been coughing, 

 on and off, for fully a fortnight prior to the race, 

 and Marsh was strongly opposed to taking the 

 risk of running such a valuable colt when he was 

 by no means up to the mark. This had been 

 demonstrated in a trial with Chinkara, in 

 which he only just got home, though he was 

 certainly giving 36 lb. to her. Whether he would 

 be started or not for the Middle Park Plate was 

 absolutely in doubt until about an hour before 

 the race, when Chinkara carried 8 st. 9 lb. into 

 fourth place in the Stand Nursery Plate, run over 

 the Berthy Stakes course. Mornington Cannon, 

 who rode her, said that he thought she was second 

 best, and this just turned the scale with regard to 

 Persimmon, it being decided to allow him to take 

 his chance. His Royal Highness, in coming to 

 this decision, was purely influenced by a sports- 

 manlike desire not to deprive the public of the 



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