CHAPTER XVII. 



TRAINERS WITHOUT TRAINING. 



Training at haphazard — The brothers Stebbing — Own Flatcatcher 

 and other good horses — Accidental success and ultimate failure 

 — Barber and Saxon — First association — Horses owned con- 

 jointly and separately, and their doings — Mistakes in selling — 

 Oaks victory and subsequent decline — Saxon and the thief. 



Mr. Thomas Parr — First start— His patrons — A large stable 

 and few runners — Love of plating — A mystery ; how was it 

 d one <i — Training from a hayloft — Sale of Fernhill and Isoline 

 — Embarrassments — A lucky release — Bovine appearance of 

 Rataplan— Disappointment in the St. Leger— Misuse of good 

 horses ; Saucebox, Fisherman, and others — Mortimer's defeat at 

 Chester — Curious excuse — How he got Weather gage ; unex- 

 pected performances and curious treatment — Errors in training 

 — A word for George Hall. 



That there is ' nothing succeeds like success ' is a 

 truism ' as old as the hills,' and likely to be as lasting. 

 You may be the cleverest person in the world, and 

 the whole world may know it ; but if you are not 

 lucky, your talent, however brilliant and judiciously 

 applied, is not appreciated, and every action of your 

 life is criticized and condemned. Reverse the case, 

 and you find men without ability or energy, if but 

 momentarily fortunate, praised for virtues which they 



