446 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



I now proceeded to get an option on the land 

 on which the proposed racecourse was to be 

 made, and the terms of purchase were soon 

 satisfactorily arranged. A promoting syndicate 

 was next organised. In this I was joined by 

 Mr. Baxendale. When in due course the com- 

 pany was formed the shares were not offered to 

 the public, but were readily placed privately, big 

 " blocks " being taken by the Duke of West- 

 minster, Lord Howard de Walden, Sir Ernest 

 Cassel, Mr. J. Musker, Mr. Buchanan, and other 

 gentlemen. Everybody I approached gave their 

 support very readily, and we soon got all the 

 money required. I am happy to say that those 

 who supported me have had no cause to regret 

 their action, because from the first a steady 

 dividend has been paid. 



When the Newbury racecourse scheme began 

 to take shape, I sold Strattons and bought my 

 present home at Newbury, which, in honour of 

 the greatest horse I or any one else ever trained, 

 I called " Ormonde House." In my capacity 

 as managing director of the racecourse my time 

 was pretty fully occupied, especially while it was 

 in the construction stage. From the first I 

 determined that we would strive to the utmost 

 to provide the best racecourse to be found in 

 England. The praise bestowed on the results 

 of our efforts convinced us we had almost, if not 

 quite, succeeded. 



I 



