4o8 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



in 1895), '3^3 ^^^ ^ot win as a two-year-old; 

 and it was not until the Doncaster September 

 Meeting that La Roche first earned winning 

 brackets by gaining a victory in the Prince of 

 Wales's Nursery — 3. prize her sire himself won 

 in most impressive style. Before that she had 

 run three times — twice unplaced, and second 

 to Dum Dum in the Acorn Stakes at Epsom. 

 In the autumn La Roche was unplaced in a 

 ;^iooo Nursery at Kempton, and then ran 

 third in the Osmaston Nursery at Derby. 



This was scarcely " classic " form ; but there 

 was encouragement in the fact that the per- 

 formance at Doncaster proved La Roche to be 

 endowed with stamina, for the Prince of Wales's 

 Nursery is a mile race. It was staying power 

 that brought her into prominence the following 

 year. We tried her as follows on April 27, 

 1900 : 



One Mile 



Elopement, 3 yrs., 9 st. 2 lb. . . .1 



Simon Dale, 3 yrs., 9 st. 2 lb. . . .2 



La Roche, 3 yrs., 8 st. 9 lb. . . .3 



Missel Thrush, 3 yrs., 8 st. 9 lb. . . . 4 



Won by two lengths ; three lengths between 

 second and third ; three lengths between third and 

 fourth. 



A month previously, at Liverpool, Elope- 

 ment had won the Union Jack Stakes; on May 

 2 he started favourite, at 15 to 8, for the Two 



