330 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



given. A chronicler rounded off his report of 

 the scene with the words: " We do like to see 

 people spend money, and if we think they are 

 spending it rather foolishly, why, we cheer the 

 louder! . , . No one pretends that when Baron 

 Hirsch gave that extravagant price he was giving 

 the value of the flesh, blood and bones he was 

 purchasing.** This comment reads rather oddly 

 in the light of what La Fl^che did on the Turf, 

 to say nothing of her record as a brood mare. At 

 that time, however, 5500 guineas seemed a stagger- 

 ing price for a yearling. It created a new record. 



And so La Fl^che came to Kingsclere to be 

 trained. Other yearlings sent me in the autumn 

 of 1890 were the Duke of Westminster's Orme ; 

 Lord Alington and Sir Frederick Johnstone's 

 Goldfinch; and Baron Hirsch's Watercress. 

 Orme and Goldfinch were two of the colts 

 resulting from Ormonde's first season at the 

 stud; Watercress was a colt (by Springfield out 

 of Wharfedale) I bought as a foal from his 

 breeder. Lord Falmouth. 



It will, I think, be as well to dispose of 

 Goldfinch right away. There is not much that 

 need be said about him. He showed fine form 

 as a two-year-old, but did not as a three-year-old 

 fulfil the promise of his juvenile days. On 

 May 15, 1 89 1, I tried him three lengths 

 better than the three -year -old Patrol at level 

 weights, and on the i8th he started favourite 



