2o8 MEN OF MY TIME. 



delight was in racing, pure and simple, and he raced 

 for the love of the sport. He was wealthy, or had 

 ample means for the continuance of such pleasures as 

 he indulged in, without looking for the addition of 

 success. He had many serviceable horses. Amongst 

 them were the following : Pounce, Whisk, Arrian, 

 Clara, Eteus, Thessalus, Margaretta, Miss Baddesley, 

 Buxom Lass, and Negress. But I think Little Red 

 Rover was the best he had; for with him he secured 

 many valuable stakes. It was when riding him at 

 Goodwood my father gained the sobriquet of ' Honest 

 John,' with which his name has ever since been 

 identified by race-goers both of the old and present 

 school. I should mention, too, that when my brother 

 John won the Produce Stakes at Bibury for Mr. 

 Biggs on Arrian, he said : 



' Now, young man, I am going to give you a little 

 advice, which will be much more serviceable than 

 money. Mind and enjoy yourself as much as you 

 can before you get to sixty, for you will have little 

 pleasure after, I assure you.' 



Mr. Biggs was fond of his joke, and though, 

 after the fashion of the time, his were not of the 

 present refined order, they were never made at the 

 expense either of friend or foe. So far as I remember, 

 he never betted, or, at most, but a trifle ; and in this 

 way he would permit himself no inducement to do 

 anything unworthy of his turf reputation. And, 

 strange as it may seem to many who race in the 



