254 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



week, caused me to abandon that plan. Or- 

 monde, therefore, after winning his first race, 

 returned to Kingsclere, but he went to New- 

 market again for the Houghton Meeting, at 

 which he won the Criterion Stakes and the 

 Dewhurst Plate. 



The Criterion was in the first day's programme 

 — Monday's. In this race he was opposed by 

 ** Mr. Manton's " (the Duchess of Montrose's) 

 Oberon, Prince Soltykoff's Mephisto, and three 

 others. Mephisto, who had won a couple of 

 races at the First October Meeting, was supposed 

 to be the chief danger, but 6 to 4 was laid on 

 Ormonde, and he won in a canter by three 

 lengths from Oberon, with Mephisto a bad third. 

 The race was run up the Criterion hill, the win- 

 ning post being at the " Top of the Town," 

 close to the road that leads to the Rowley Mile 

 Stands. The ease with which Ormonde disposed 

 of his opponents opened the eyes of the public 

 to his merits. The Criterion, by the way, 

 happened to be one of my lucky races, for it was 

 won ten times by horses I trained. There were 

 eleven runners for the Dewhurst Plate, decided 

 on the Wednesday. In addition to Ormonde 

 I saddled Whitefriar, who, ridden by George 

 Barrett, finished second, four lengths behind 

 Ormonde. Among the runners were Miss 

 Jummy, then a winner of three races, and 

 who won the One Thousand and Oaks the 



