1 82 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



breeder, who was an honourable man, had offered him 

 openly for sale as a four-year-old in the previous year, 

 and I had myself then gone to look at him as one of that 

 age. Of course the case had to be brought before the 

 notice of the Jockey Club, and though everyone was 

 exonerated from blame in the matter, he was disqualified 

 for all the races that he had won that year, which, with 

 the bets, came to a very considerable sum. What his 

 owner felt the most was having to return a very coveted 

 trophy, the Jockey Club Cup, which he had won, and 

 on the strength of which win he had just given a very 

 large dinner party to the chief patrons of racing. The 

 cup had then been a very conspicuous ornament in the 

 dining-room, and been very much admired. 



Poor " Perchance's " misfortunes, however, were not 

 yet over. He was destined to lose the chief prize of the 

 ensuing meeting, for which he was properly entered at 

 last, as the entries did not close till the day after the 

 discovery of his right age. This was the Premio del Rey 

 — " The King's Prize " — a race that was very much sought 

 after and valued. 



