BLUE GOWN'S DERBY 127 



revert to the old flag system. At the same time, 

 I think better use could be made of the ** gate.** 

 I cannot understand why a fair trial is not given 

 to the walk-up start. How can a big horse be 

 expected to get quickly into his stride from a 

 standing start ? He is still floundering about 

 when his smaller and more active opponents 

 have gone away from him and are winning the 

 race. This starting business has a great deal 

 to do with the in-and-out running about which 

 we hear so much. The little horse is off and 

 away, while the big one is ** all abroad.'* 



Two days after the Cambridgeshire, again 

 carrying 9 St., Blue Gown won the Free Handi- 

 cap, giving from 20 lb. to 32 lb. to his opponents. 

 Yes, he was a good horse, but not so good as 

 Rosicrucian or Green Sleeve. The latter, after 

 the Derby, was put aside with a special view to 

 the Cambridgeshire. Unfortunately, when we 

 tried her for that race she broke down and never 

 ran again. But for the mishap she could not 

 have lost the Cambridgeshire, for which she 

 was nicely handicapped. If I remember rightly, 

 her weight was about 7 st. 2 lb. Luckily Sir 

 Joseph had not backed her, because we were all 

 along doubtful whether she would stand training 

 up to the day of the race. Green Sleeve retired 

 to the paddocks at Leybourne Grange, where, 

 in 1870 and 1871, she produced fillies to Thor- 

 manby and Asteroid. Her first foal, Evergreen, 



