The Derby 301 



bit of foul riding, Tom Cannon would just have got up 

 on Mr. Gerard's colt ; and had there been an objection, 

 it is tolerably certain that Paradox would have been 

 disqualified. 



I chanced to meet Webb on the Derb}^ day, as he 

 walked down by the back of the stands to the paddock 

 to ride Paradox, and, being strongly of opinion that 

 nothing could beat Melton, remarked to him I feared he 

 would not quite win. 



' I'm sure to go very close, if I don't beat the 

 favourite, and I may do that ! ' he replied ; and very 

 close he did go. Both he and Archer rode with admir- 

 able judgment and wonderful vigour, and the shortest 

 of short heads in favour of Lord Hastings's colt was 

 the verdict. I never saw a horse go more beautifully 

 than Melton in the preliminary canter before that Derby. 

 His action was the perfection of grace and ease ; he 

 covered an extraordinary amount of ground in his stride, 

 but moved so lightly that he gave one the impression 

 he could gallop over eggs without breaking them. He 

 was a good horse, but much inferior to St. Gatien, as 

 was demonstrated conclusively more than once ; though 

 when the two met in the Jockey Club Cup of 1886, 

 Melton had been overdosed with whisky, and as Tom 

 Cannon, who rode him, declared, was more than half 

 drunk. 



1886 was the greatest year of modern times, for the 

 Duke of Westminster's Ormonde was the hero, and the 

 chesnut son of Bend Or and Lily Agnes had rivals of 

 exceptional excellence in the gallant little Bard, Minting, 

 Saraband, and others who would certainly have made 

 great names for themselves in an average season. In 

 spite of all that Minting did, I have always believed that 



