SIR JOSEPH HAWLEY 151 



concerning the rights and the responsibilities of 

 owners. He greatly resented the interference 

 of other people with his racing projects. I will 

 cite a case in point. In the spring of 1869 we 

 tried Vagabond good enough, as we thought, 

 to win the City and Suburban at Epsom. The 

 entry in the Trial Book reads : 



One Mile and ^ Quarter 



Vagabond, 3 yrs., 7 st. 2 lb i 



The Palmer, 5 yrs., 9 st. 7 lb. . . .2 



Blue Gown, 4 yrs., 9 st. 13 lb. . . .3 

 King Cophetua, 3 yrs., 7 st. 2 lb. . . .4 

 Won by a length ; a neck between second and 

 third ; four lengths between third and fourth. 



A tout named Walters, whose mother kept 

 the Swan Inn at Kingsclere, and who ran a betting 

 scheme in connection with which he published The 

 Kingsclere Racing Circular^ had the result of the 

 trial conveyed to the telegraph office at Newbury 

 by a relay of horses, for there was no telegraph 

 office at Kingsclere in those days. When, later 

 in the day. Sir Joseph wanted to back Vagabond 

 he was intensely annoyed on finding that the 

 horse was favourite. To punish those who had 

 forestalled him he struck Vagabond out of the City 

 and Suburban, and ran him in the Great Metro- 

 politan instead. Two miles and a quarter was, 

 however, far too long a distance for Vagabond, 

 and he was unplaced. 



