MY START AS A TRAINER 69 



and the Prendergast Stakes. In the latter event 

 he beat the Duke of Beaufort's Siberia (already a 

 winner of three races), and Gladiateur (giving 

 6 lb.), who, earlier in the week, had made a 

 successful debut in the Clearwell Stakes. We 

 now believed that Bedminster had a fairly good 

 chance of gaining classic honours ; and that 

 belief was considerably strengthened the follow- 

 ing spring, for on April 27 we tried him thus : 



One Mile 



Bedminster, 3 yrs., 8 st. 13 lb. . . Wells i 

 Merry Wife, 4 yrs., 7 st. . . . Morgan 2 

 Argonaut, 6 yrs., 10 st. 6 lb. . . Payter 3 

 Won by two lengths ; the same distance between 

 second and third. 



Both Sir Joseph Hawley and Lord Annesley 

 witnessed the gallop, and we were all perfectly 

 satisfied. Bedminster appeared to us in the 

 light of a " good thing '* for the Two Thousand 

 Guineas, run on May 2. He started favourite 

 for that race at 7 to 2, his most-fancied opponents 

 being Mr. Chaplin's Breadalbane and Mr. 

 Merry's Liddington, equal second favourites 

 at 4 to I; the Marquis of Hastings' Kangaroo 

 (just purchased from Mr. Padwick) and Count 

 de Lagrange's Gladiateur. I should explain, 

 with regard to our trial, that Argonaut had two 

 days previously won the City and Suburban, 

 carrying no less than 8 st. 11 lb.; and that the 

 day before the Guineas he strengthened our 



