390 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



owned by Lord William Beresford, started an 

 equal favourite with Flying Fox for the Middle 

 Park Plate. It was a funny sort of race, and 

 when it was over I was by no means convinced 

 that the best horse had won. Caiman, by the 

 way, was receiving 3 lb. from Flying Fox. 



Tod Sloan, who rode Caiman that day, refers 

 to this race in his reminiscences. He writes: 



I shall always remember the Middle Park Plate which 

 I won on Caiman, with Flying Fox second. I should 

 say that Caiman was one of the poorest class horses who 

 ever won the race, and it really was a shame that a horse 

 like Flying Fox, a superior animal in every way, should 

 have been done out of what he so much deserved. I 

 repeat. Caiman was one of the most overrated horses I 

 ever knew. The truth was I understood him, and had 

 him under such perfect control that it was possible to do 

 more with him than with perhaps any horse of similar 

 stamp. . . . 



In the race the other jockeys let me make my own 

 pace, " Morny " (Cannon) holding off on his crack until 

 the place at which he generally began his run. We went 

 slower and slower, till we got almost to a walk just before 

 striking the rise out of the Dip. I was watching him 

 and saw him preparing to come along. So I shot mine 

 out before he got moving, and stole the race. Flying Fox, 

 although going great guns, not having quite time enough 

 to get up. I hope it does not seem that I am claiming 

 for myself too much judgment at the expense of others, 

 but without any brag or bounce I must say that there 

 was such a hopeless ignorance of pace among the majority 

 of those riding in the race that I suppose I managed to 



