1 86 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



transferred to the Bedford Lodge Stud at New- 

 market, his fee being raised to 70 guineas. 

 Presently he was moved to the Sefton Stud Farm, 

 also at Newmarket. In 1889 his fee had gone 

 up to ;^200, and he was advertised full for two 

 years ahead. Sometime in 1884 the Duchess 

 of Montrose asked the late Mr. Edmund Tatter- 

 sall if he could find a buyer for Isonomy, as 

 she was tired of the horse. Mr. Tattersall 

 strongly advised her not to be in a hurry to part 

 with him, and the wisdom of this counsel was 

 proved within the next twelve months. Isonomy 

 died of heart disease in 1891, the year after 

 Isinglass and Ravensbury were born. 



Isonomy was one of the foals got by Sterling 

 in his first season, and the only one of that sire's 

 stock to win as a two-year-old in 1877, though 

 there were fifteen others. As a matter of fact, only 

 three of the sixteen ever won — Isonomy, Light- 

 house, and Sterlingworth, Isonomy's achieve- 

 ments sent Sterling's fee up from 100 to 150 

 guineas. It is, perhaps, worth noting that Isola 

 Bella, the dam of Isonomy and Fernandez, 

 was absolutely worthless as a racer. She was 

 bred at Hooton by Mr. R. C. Naylor, whose 

 colours she carried five times without once getting 

 placed. In many works of reference Isola Bella 

 is described as a bay ; in reality she was a chest- 

 nut. Four of her seven foals were chestnuts, 

 but Isonomy and Fernandez, the only two of 



