THE CAREER OF ORMONDE 249 



he was the best yearling he had so far sent to me. 

 I believe His Grace did not think very highly of 

 the youngster at that time. During the ensuing 

 winter the colt was sorely troubled with splints 

 under both knees, which prevented him flexing 

 his knees properly. The growths were, however, 

 dispersed by applications of Ossidine, a prepara- 

 tion I have always found to be the best remedy 

 for bony excrescences. 



The treatment Ormonde had to undergo 

 threw him back considerably, and until the late 

 summer of 1885 I merely gave him easy canter- 

 ing exercise. It would be about the beginning 

 of August that he began to do serious work. 

 His progress was steady and continuous, and on 

 October 7 we gave him a rough gallop with 

 Kendal, the ever-reliable Whipper-in, and White- 

 friar — the last-named a two-year-old, by Hermit, 

 who had not yet raced. Here is the record of 

 the "trial": 



Sii Furlongs 



Kendal, 2 yrs., 8 st. 7 lb i 



Ormonde, 2 yrs., 8 st. 8 lb 2 



Whipper-in, 6 yrs., 9 st. 6 lb 3 



Whitefriar, 2 yrs., . . . .4 



Won by a length ; another length between second 

 and third, and two lengths between third and fourth. 



In order that the true inwardness of that 

 rough gallop may be appreciated it is necessary 

 to review very briefly the short racing career of 



