224 MEN OF MY TIME. 



finish, thus enabling the stable to hedge all the money. 

 In reality the mistake about him was due to the bad- 

 ness that year of Pelerine, Uleus, and other of his trial 

 horses. But the mistake had been found out, and all 

 hope of his success given up since his trial a fortnight 

 before the race. 



I have previously referred casually to Mr. Wreford, 

 another supporter of Danebury. He was, when a 

 young man, a leather-tanner, and a sharp, shrewd 

 man of business. He was fond of field-sports, a good 

 shot, and kept a pack of harriers. But racing was 

 the one engrossing object of his life, and in it he was 

 decidedly successful. He first trained with Mr. John 

 Dilly ; but soon left him and came to Danebury, 

 which he never left till he gave up racing altogether, 

 which he was obliged to do through the extravagance 

 of his family. I never heard that he did much good 

 for himself on the turf until he commenced breeding. 

 In this, however, he excelled beyond most other 

 people. He lived at Gratton, near Bow, Crediton, 

 Devonshire, and bred mostly from cheap, well-bred 

 mares. One of his best brood-mares, Margellina — 

 sister to Menmon, winner of the St. Leger, and not 

 worth a guinea herself as a racehorse — he gave £25 

 for ; and many others cost him very little if any- 

 thing more. On the other hand, when he did make 

 an exception, as in the case of Mouche, for which he 

 gave £700 after she had run second to Variation in 

 the Oaks in 1830, it proved to be a mistake ; for she 



