GRAND PARADE 



opposition with varying results. But Friar's Balsam 

 cantered away from them, beating the filly by three 

 lengths, Ayrshire a bad third. He won the Hurst- 

 bourne Stakes at Stockbridge, in which, however, he 

 had not very much to beat, again disposed of Seabreeze 

 in the July Stakes, had such an easy task in the Rich- 

 mond Stakes at Goodwood that odds of 25 to 1 were 

 laid on him, and for the Molecomb he was allowed to 

 walk over. The Middle Park he also took in a canter 

 from a chestnut colt with an extraordinary amount of 

 white about his legs named Hazelhatch, Seabreeze 

 third ; and he won the Dewhurst at 100 to 3 on. 



Nothing was more evident than that he ought to 

 have won the Two Thousand Guineas. A friend of 

 mine, who had backed him for a great deal of money, 

 laid another 3000 to 1000 on him as he went to the 

 post. Here Porter shall describe what happened : 



" To our utter dismay, Friar's Balsam made no 

 show in the race, and finished fifth of the six runners. 

 Not until he returned to the paddock did we know 

 there was anything wrong with him, but we then found 

 his mouth full of pus. An unsuspected abscess had 

 burst while he was racing. I immediately telegraphed 

 to London for Mr. Williams, the veterinary surgeon, 

 who eventually removed a piece of loose bone from the 

 jaw. 



" Friar's Balsam was a very difficult horse to dress 

 in the stable, he was so restless. When this operation 



163 



