Mr. George Alexander Baird 



when at the late Lord Falmouth's sale he bought Busybody 

 and Esther Faa for 8800 and 2200 guineas respectively. 



Placed under Tom Cannon's care at Danebury, Busybody 

 won both the One Thousand and Oaks for her new owner, 

 but unfortunately broke down before the St. Leger. His 

 other purchase, Esther Faa, on the other hand, never won 

 a race. In 1884, "the Squire," as he was universally called, 

 dipped further into the Mereworth blood, buying Skylark for 

 1 1 50 guineas, Spinaway (winner of the Oaks), with an Isonomy 

 filly foal at foot, for 5500 guineas, and the two-year-olds 

 Cerealis and Skyscraper, for 4000 and 1400 guineas respectively, 

 besides two more brood mares. 



Subsequently Mr. Baird transferred his horses to Gurry's 

 stable at Newmarket with Robert Peck as guide, philosopher, 

 and friend, but owing to some disagreement, they were sent 

 for a time to W. Stevens at Compton, to return to Gurry 

 later on, just in time for the latter to share in the credit of 

 Merry Hampton's victory in the Derby of 1887. 



There were only ten runners on this occasion, amongst 

 them being Bruce, belonging to Mr. Herbert Rymill, and who 

 was backed against the field at the finish. Nothing, however, 

 stood the ghost of a chance with Merry Hampton, who, ridden 

 by John Watts, whose first Derby it was, had the race in safe 

 keeping a long way from home, winning eventually in the 

 commonest of canters. 



So little apparent interest did " Mr. Abington " take in the 

 race, that not only did he hardly take the trouble to look at it, 

 but despite the entreaties of his friends, actually declined to 

 pay his victorious horse the compliment the winner of the 

 Derby has surely the right to expect at the hands of his 

 owner, by leading him back to the weighing-room ; a mode 

 of proceeding on his part which called forth — and very properly 



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