222 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



St. Simon, with odds of 2 to i laid on, beat him 

 by three-quarters of a length. 



Like our colt, St. Simon had made his debut 

 at Goodwood, where he won the Halnaker 

 Stakes in a canter, and the same week captured 

 the Maiden Stakes. After that he won the 

 Devonshire Nursery at Derby, and the Prince of 

 Wales's Nursery at Doncaster. In the latter 

 race he carried 9 st. and won by eight lengths. 

 Having regard, therefore, to these performances, 

 a decided compliment was paid to Duke of 

 Richmond when speculators were required to lay 

 only 2 to I on the Duke of Portland's colt. The 

 Duke of Westminster thought his horse a wonder. 

 There is no doubt he was very good, but no 

 match for St. Simon. 



I had been a bidder, on my own behalf, for 

 St. Simon when he was offered for sale at New- 

 market in July of that year owing to the death of 

 his breeder. Count Batthyany. When he came 

 into the ring there was some dressing on his 

 hocks, which had been slightly blistered; but 

 so far as I could make out there was nothing 

 the matter. At any rate, the dressing would 

 not have stopped me buying the son of Galopin, 

 because I had come to the conclusion it was put 

 on to frighten intending buyers. Sir George 

 Chetwynd, who was bidding for the horse on 

 behalf of a friend, tells us it came to his know- 

 ledge that Matthew Dawson, when looking over 



