294 TRAINERS WITHOUT TRAINING. 



fairly prepared he would have won. But he was not, 

 and he was beat, though the owner always maintained 

 his defeat was due to the twisting of a plate, near the 

 winning-post. Yet some time after the horse goes to 

 Ascot, and carrying a heap more weight, wins the 

 Stakes ; and this undoubtedly proves that he ought to 

 have won at Chester. But Mr. Parr could always 

 hud excuses after every defeat, no matter how ridi- 

 culous or unreasonable. One instance is as good as 

 another for the purpose of showing this easy habit. 

 Fisherman one day is beat very unexpectedly, is sent 

 off at once, and after travelling all night runs the 

 next day at Abingdon, and wins easily, to the surprise 

 of everyone. There was little or no betting on the 

 race. Mr. Parr, when asked if he could account for 

 the difference in the running on the two days, calmly 

 answered : ' The sun was in his eyes the first time ; 

 and he never could run when it was so.' 



( )ne more horse of wdiich Mr. Parr had the care, 

 Weatliergage, requires a special notice. Though run 

 in his name, the animal was probably not his ; but 

 belonged to Mr. Megson, just as Fisherman was 

 undoubtedly the property of Mr. Starkey. Neverthe- 

 less, of all the horses he had to do with, no one 

 did him so much credit. For with Weathergage he 

 achieved a triumph in training or management, or 

 both, that no expert could ever account for. The 

 whole story is so strange that it reads more like fiction 

 than fact. 



