MY START AS A TRAINER 71 



Epsom. On Derby Day Sir Joseph and his 

 brother, on their way to the course, called at 

 Tadworth Cottage, where I was staying. They 

 had their lunch with them in a basket and ate it 

 in the stable, sitting the while on a truss of hay. 



" And how's the horse ? " inquired Sir Joseph, 

 glancing towards Bedminster. The colt was 

 standing with his legs in a bucket of iced water. 

 That was a sufficient answer. 



" Where is Wells? " was the next question. 

 " He's in bed with hot towels on his stomach." 

 ** Is that so! " exclaimed Sir Joseph. " Then 

 all I can say is that my chance of winning the 

 Derby never looked brighter! My horse has 

 his legs in a pail, and my jockey is doctoring his 

 stomach." 



It only remains to be said that odds of 50 to 

 I were laid against Bedminster 's winning the 

 Derby, and that he broke down irretrievably in 

 the race. So long as he remained sound he was 

 a real good horse, though his constitution was 

 a delicate one — a characteristic of many of the 

 Newminsters. 



This was the Derby won by that remarkable 

 French-bred horse Gladiateur, whom so many 

 alleged, without a shadow of proof, to be a four- 

 year-old. He and Mr. Chaplin's Breadalbane 

 were the first and second favourites. The failure 

 of Breadalbane resulted in Mr. Chaplin removing 

 his horses from the care of William I' Anson at 



