I70 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



six furlongs. Shortly after this latter failure, 

 Mr. Charles Brewer, acting for Prince Soltykoff 

 and his friends, took 10,000 to 1000 about Duke 

 of Parma for the Cesare witch. The public, 

 following the lead thus given, proceeded to back 

 the horse freely, hence the short odds at which 

 he started. After he had won, some unkind 

 things were said about the Duke of Parma's 

 previous form. " I myself,** writes Sir George 

 Chetwynd, ** heard some of these remarks made 

 in the card room at the Jockey Club rooms, but 

 I consider they were most uncalled for. In the 

 first place, running six furlongs is a very different 

 thing from the Cesarewitch course, particularly 

 if the horse is doing long work at exercise, which 

 would have the effect of lessening any speed he 

 might have ; and, secondly, because, early in the 

 year, he had won a little handicap by six lengths." 

 All of which is, of course, quite true ; but the 

 truth did not lessen our disappointment when we 

 saw Pageant beaten by a reputed sprinter. In 

 the Cambridgeshire, a fortnight later. Pageant 

 started second favourite, but ran unplaced to the 

 favourite, Mr. Mannington's Sutton ; and he 

 was also unplaced in the Liverpool Autumn 

 Cup, his only other race that season. As a 

 five-year-old Pageant finished fourth in the 

 Chester Cup won by Tam o* Shanter, and second 

 to The Snail in the Northumberland Plate ; but 

 these and other failures were partially redeemed 



