THE GREAT YEAR 



stable, his trainer had not any brilliant record of 

 past victories to encourage belief in his charge ; 

 nevertheless, by a considerable section of racegoers 

 the son of Tracery and Countess Zia was accepted 

 as a wonder, and when it became known that he 

 would be sent up to auction with a reserve of 

 40,000 guineas on him his enthusiastic admirers 

 declared that he was extremely cheap. His victory 

 in the Classics these eulogists regarded as a foregone 

 conclusion. 



Some writers on Turf affairs cannot apparently be 

 persuaded that the Keeper of the Match Book does 

 not make the Free Handicap for Two- Year-Olds. As 

 a matter of fact it is made by the Official Handicapper. 

 Mr. T. F. Dawkins was responsible for it in the 

 autumn of 191 8, and he put The Panther first, though 

 by no more than a couple of pounds. Occasionally 

 the weights have gone up to 9 st. 7 lb. This was not 

 so in 191 8. The Panther had the usual 9 St., which 

 placed him 2 lb. above Grand Parade and Galloper 

 Light, who were thus jointly put in with 8 st. 12 lb., 

 1 lb. in front of Sir Walter Gilbey's Paper Money, 

 after whom, yet another pound lower, came Mr. 

 Lionel Robinson's Stefan the Great. This grey son 

 of The Tetrarch was a colt whose devotees placed 

 him on a pinnacle, due to what he had done at home 

 and quite possibly well deserved, though his career 

 was destined to be short. Mr. S. B. Joel's Polygnotus 



67 



