12 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



bunkum which entitled her to an allowance of a 

 few pounds. By way of imparting an air of inno- 

 cence to the procedure, William Goater, Day's 

 head man, accompanied the filly to the starting- 

 post, ostensibly with a view to ensuring her getting 

 well away. Strange to say, however, Goater 

 appeared to be taken by surprise when the starter 

 dropped his flag, and Virago was " left " a long 

 way behind the others. She of course finished 

 " nowhere," as intended. 



Until the year 1850 it was the winner only 

 of a selling race that could be bought or claimed ; 

 but a new Rule was then passed, to the effect 

 that any horse running in such events was liable 

 to be claimed by the owner of any other horse 

 in the race for the price for which it was entered 

 to be sold, plus the amount of the stake, the 

 owner of the second horse to be the first entitled 

 to claim. Curiously enough, both William Day 

 (a son of John Day) and Admiral Rous, who 

 referred to the Virago ** affair " in their writings, 

 were under the impression that the claiming rule 

 was revised after, and in consequence of, the 

 Shrewsbury incident. The Admiral — there is 

 but one Admiral in the annals of the Turf — made 

 the following caustic comments on the filly's 

 defeat : 



She (Virago) was not among the first three, though 

 she could have carried eleven stone and won. She 

 could not have been bought for ;^5ooo. The public, 



