THE PRINCE'S PATRONAGE 287 



proved himself a skilful, painstaking, reliable 

 servant. 



The next step was to buy brood mares for 

 the new stud. It was decided to purchase about 

 half-a-dozen, but I was warned that no fancy 

 prices were to be paid. One I bought was 

 Perdita II. She belonged to Mr. David Falconer, 

 a jute broker, in Mark Lane, who raced under 

 the name of ** Benholm." He met me one day 

 at Newmarket and said : "I understand you are 

 buying mares for the Prince of Wales. I have 

 one I want to sell. Go and look at her; she is 

 standing at John Dawson's. I want a thousand 

 for her." 



I went to see Perdita II., and liked the look 

 of her. She was an angular sort of mare, but I 

 could see she had good points, and was likely 

 to develop into a nice brood mare. At that time 

 she was just out of training, having run at the 

 Derby November meeting. In July she had 

 carried 7 st. 8 lb. in the Liverpool Cup and 

 run a dead-heat for first place with Mr. Leopold 

 de Rothschild's Middlethorpe, with The Sailor 

 Prince (who was to win the Cambridgeshire in 

 the autumn) third. 



I had to see the Prince that morning in his 

 room at the Jockey Club. I told him about 

 Perdita II., and that I had been to see her. " They 

 are asking a thousand for her, sir, but I may be 

 able to get her for a little less." The Prince 



