4 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



Escrett. He went south for a year or two in 

 order to take charge of Mr. Gratwicke's horses 

 at Michel Grove. Sammy Lord was also at 

 Hednesford. When he died his stable was taken 

 over by his head man, Dover, who afterwards 

 went to Ilsley, where he trained Lord Lyon to 

 win the Derby of 1866 for Sir Richard Sutton. 

 It may not be generally known that my old friend 

 Denman, who for so many years trained very 

 successfully for M. Edmond Blanc, is associated 

 with Hednesford. His mother was one of 

 Saunders's sisters. 



My irresponsible life on Cannock Chase had 

 continued for about twelve months, when one 

 day there came a parental warning that " some- 

 thing must be done." It was, I believe, the 

 outcome of representations made by my mother. 

 She had, of course, every reason to be dissatisfied 

 with the existing state of things. At this critical 

 moment John Day — " Old John " or " Honest 

 John '* he was commonly called — then training 

 at Michel Grove for Mr. Padwick, advertised 

 for a light-weight jockey. I applied for the situa- 

 tion and received a letter asking me to go at once 

 to Michel Grove, which lies high up on the 

 Sussex Downs, five or six miles from Worthing. 

 This was in 1853, so I was fifteen years old. 

 After questioning me, John Day agreed that I 

 should be apprenticed to him for three years. 

 With an assurance that seemed to amuse the old 



