CHEROKEE. 165 



" put through the mill." Cherokee won her trial 

 so easily by four or five lengths, that his Lordship 

 was afraid some of the old horses in the gallop had 

 not run up to their form by reason of the shortness 

 of their preparation. He therefore desired me, 

 before I left for Northampton, to try My Mary 

 (who was second to Cherokee) over again with 

 the unerring old African, as it was his Lordship's 

 intention to stand a good stake on Cherokee for 

 the Althorp Park Stakes, if I was able to make 

 out that My Mary, aged three years, was in form. 

 The second trial came off all right, as My Mary won 

 it easily, making it ]3retty evident that Cherokee 

 was very smart, as My Mary had won the Pren- 

 dergast at Newmarket in the preceding autumn. 

 Accordingly, Lord George, after arriving at North- 

 ampton, gave his chief commissioner, Mr Harry 

 Hill, an unlimited commission to back Cherokee for 

 the Althorp Park Stakes. As I was saddling the 

 mare, Mr Hill came up to his Lordship in great 

 tribulation, stating that he was unable to execute 

 the commission, as they only offered 5 to 4 against 

 Cherokee, although there were ten starters, and 

 two or three others heavily backed. " Don't come 

 here to bother me with your fears," exclaimed his 

 Lordship, testily ; "go back and get on as much 

 money as you can, and you will find 5 to 4 good 

 enough odds when the race is over." And so it 

 proved, as Cherokee won in a canter by two 

 lengths. Lord George next proceeded to back 



