ORME AND LA FLfiCHE 351 



her for the race, I gave her very light work just to 

 keep her in condition. Some interested critics 

 became very nervous and urged me to give her 

 stronger gallops. As I refused to adopt their 

 advice Baron Hirsch was appealed to, but he 

 replied by telling me to exercise my own judg- 

 ment. By that time the mare was getting her 

 winter coat, and I felt certain she would 

 " progress backwards " if I subjected her to 

 much exertion. The result of the race amply 

 justified the course I pursued. La Fl^che 

 started favourite at 7 to 2, and won by a length 

 and a half from General Owen Williams*s Pen- 

 sioner, another three-year-old, to whom she was 

 giving 34 lb. The General, by the way, had 

 his revenge two days later, when Pensioner won 

 the Old Cambridgeshire, beating Baron Hirsch's 

 Windgall a head. I may add that if the Baron 

 had not allowed me to have my own way in the 

 matter of training La Fleche, I should at once 

 have washed my hands of the whole business, 

 and allowed some one else to have the responsi- 

 bility of ruining her chance. 



At the end of this season, 1892, the horses 

 belonging to the Prince of Wales and Baron 

 Hirsch left Kingsclere to be trained by my 

 friend Dick Marsh at Newmarket. As I have 

 no wish to reopen an old sore I shall not gratify 

 the curiosity of inquisitive mortals by relating 

 the inner history of this separation. I had at 



