2o6 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



one of her opponents had a chance of beating her. 

 The horse I refer to was Bruce. This son of 

 See Saw ran four times as a two-year-old and was 

 unbeaten. In the Criterion, at the Newmarket 

 Houghton Meeting, he beat both St. Marguerite 

 and Nellie. We had, therefore, cause to fear him. 

 Bruce was a hot favourite for the Derby at 

 9 to 4; then came Shotover at 11 to 2, Quick- 

 lime at 6 to I, and Dutch Oven at 10 to i. There 

 were fourteen runners. Forcing tactics were 

 adopted with the favourite. Approaching Tatten- 

 ham Corner he was leading, but, frightened by a 

 piece of paper on the course, he swerved, and 

 made a wide sweep round the turn. This lost 

 him many lengths. At the distance Quicklime 

 was leading from Shotover. The latter, ridden 

 by Tom Cannon, gradually wore him down, 

 however, and won the race by three-quarters of 

 a length. The victory was well received by the 

 public, whose appreciation was no doubt quick- 

 ened by the knowledge that Shotover was only 

 the third filly who had secured Derby honours, 

 the other two being Eleanor (1801) and Blink 

 Bonny (1857). Sachem and Bruce were placed 

 third and fourth. Had his jockey obeyed orders 

 and ridden him out, Bruce would have finished 

 third. It may be, as many people contended at 

 the time, that Bruce was unlucky to be beaten 

 that day. Ten days later he won the Grand Prix 

 de Paris, but he never ran again in England. 



