8 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



As a jockey I had an excellent tutor in John 

 Day, who had been one of the best riders of his 

 time. Among his employers was the famous 

 Duke of Grafton, for whom, in 1826, he rode 

 Dervise and Problem to victory in the Two 

 Thousand and One Thousand Guineas respect- 

 ively ; and for the same nobleman he was success- 

 ful twice in the Oaks. Day took great pains with 

 me, and I steadily improved in my riding, for 

 I obtained plenty of practice on the Downs. I 

 carefully watched Wells and other jockeys, and 

 picked up many ideas from them. 



There is not much to be said about my exploits 

 in the saddle, and I may as well dispose of the 

 subject now. My first experience of race riding 

 was gained at Goodwood in 1854. At that 

 meeting I rode " Mr. Howard's ** Diana in the 

 Goodwood Stakes. " Mr. Howard *' was the 

 assumed name of Mr. Padwick. Diana's weight 

 was 5 St. 5 lb. She was a three-year-old filly by 

 Venison, and had, at Ascot, the previous time 

 out, won the Great Western Stakes. On the 

 strength of this success she started favourite 

 for the Goodwood Stakes, but I regret to say 

 was not even " placed." I can, however, plead 

 in extenuation of the failure that, with Wells in 

 the saddle, Diana did no better two days later, 

 when she competed for the Chesterfield Cup. 

 A fortnight afterwards I was again " up " on 

 Diana in the Lewes Handicap, and this time she 



