212 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



of 1883 came round I was beset with difficulties 

 in his case. It happened to be an abnormally 

 wet spring, and the gallops on our Downs were 

 so heavy I could not give the colt the work he 

 needed to get him fit for the Two Thousand 

 Guineas. His backwardness was revealed by a 

 trial on April 12: 



One MUe 

 Whipper-in, 4 yrs., 7 st. 13 lb. . . .1 

 St. Blaise, 3 yrs., 8 st. 13 lb. . . .2 

 Incendiary, 6 yrs., 8 st. 1 3 lb. . . .3 

 Won by a length and a half; six lengths 

 between second and third. 



It was, however, decided that St. Blaise should 

 run in the Guineas, because the race was likely 

 to do him a world of good. His chance of win- 

 ning was not seriously considered, and odds of 

 25 to I were offered against him. He did no 

 better than we expected. The three placed 

 horses were Galliard, Goldfield, and The Prince. 



During the month that intervened between 

 the Guineas and the Derby, St. Blaise improved 

 rapidly, for I was able to give him plenty of strong 

 work. He was again formally tried a week 

 before the Derby. The occasion was a notable 

 one, for that day the Prince of Wales (afterwards 

 King Edward) paid his first visit to Kingsclere. 

 He travelled down by train to Overton in the 

 morning, and drove to the Downs, where Lord 

 Alington, Sir Frederick Johnstone, and I received 



