68 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



hedge at the roadside. St. Alexis then trotted 

 off home, well content with his morning's work. 



It happened, somewhat unfortunately, that I 

 had gone to Sir Joseph at a time when his Turf 

 fortunes were at a low ebb. The three winners 

 I saddled in 1863 brought in ;^2i8o ; while in 

 1864 and the two following years the totals were 

 ;^2485, £3360, and ;^I425. Every stable has 

 its lean years, and at this period we had to 

 contend with the moderate character of the out- 

 put from the Leybourne Grange Stud. Sir 

 Joseph was, however, very patient, and when at 

 last the Fates again bestowed their favours he 

 reaped a substantial reward. 



In 1863 Lord Annesley bought, for 880 

 guineas, a bay colt by Newminster out of Secret, 

 by Melbourne. A half share in the youngster was 

 offered to, and accepted by, Sir Joseph Hawley. 

 He was named Bedminster. A smallish horse, 

 he had an inclination to turn his toes out. As 

 a two-year-old he showed considerable promise, 

 and greatly disappointed us when, the first time 

 out, he ran unplaced in the Champagne Stakes 

 at Doncaster, for which he started second 

 favourite to Gardevisure, who was beaten a neck 

 by Mr. Merry's Zambezi. I had tried Bed- 

 minster for that race to be 10 lb. and a neck 

 behind the three-year-old Washington. At the 

 Newmarket Second October Meeting Bed- 

 minster, on successive days, won a Sweepstakes 



