394 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



wonderful as we were at the time inclined to 

 think. 



Sloan rode Holocauste in the Derby ; he 

 was given the mount only the night before the 

 race. Here is his description of the contest 

 up to the moment when the French horse met 

 with his accident : 



At last, at the sixth attempt, we were off. We went 

 up the hill to the top and raced down to Tattenham 

 Corner. I was a neck in front of Flying Fox, and to my 

 delight saw that Morny had got his whip out on the 

 favourite. Before that I hadn't really the remotest idea 

 of actually beating him, and anyhow I should have had 

 no pretensions to do so if it hadn't been for those false 

 starts. 



I got Morny on the rails, and I was going as easily 

 as possible, whereas Flying Fox got the stick again. We 

 crossed the tan road and had only about a furlong and a 

 half to go 1 with Flying Fox vv^ell beaten by this time, and 

 Holocauste not having been called on for any effort at all. 

 Suddenly something happened ; I thought I had been 

 cut into. There was a shock, and it was as much as I 

 could do to keep in my saddle. The poor beggar rolled 

 from side to side, but he didn't come down as many have 

 asserted he did. He was a horrible sight with his leg 

 broken off short ; in fact, the stump was sticking in the 

 ground. . . . 



I was never more certain that I had another horse 

 positively beaten than I was that day about Flying Fox. 

 There wouldn't have been a close finish even, for I was 



* From the tan road to the winning-post is about four furlongs. 



