1 34 Silk and Sea?' let. 



have persuaded Mr. Smith, in the autumn of his life, 

 that he had a likely Derby colt in Cracker. 



Young John Young John's training days may be 

 Day's Dynasty, g^id to begin with Weatherbit and Old 

 England, the latter of whom lost much of his slug- 

 gishness at three years old, and could always get fur- 

 thest. Weatherbit in his turn could always beat St. 

 Lawrence half a length at the Derby distance, while 

 the Saint had just the best of him at a mile. Mendi- 

 cant proved himself before the Oaks, two lengths 

 better than the pair at even weights, at a mile over the 

 Houghton Course, whereas Pyrrhus the First could 

 only just manage them at /lbs. The chestnut was 

 only a second-class horse at best, heavy fleshed, and 

 so big in the girth, that he was obliged to take walk- 

 ing exercise from six to eight before the other horses 

 came out. This was the origin of the report that he 

 had latterly had a mere walking preparation, whereas 

 he was only stopped in his work for a week between 

 the Newmarket Stakes and the Derby, and then went 

 as straight as a line. St. Lawrence was also Cossack's 

 Derby trial horse, and with the Tartar to make the 

 running, was beat by him two lengths, a week before 

 Stockbridge races. Maton was on Cossack, and young 

 John, who steered St. Lawrence at lost. 4lbs., has 

 never taken part in a trial since. Conyngham, the 

 Two Thousand winner of that memorable Danebury 

 year, tried to give Mathematician /lbs. before he 

 started for Newmarket, and just failed by a head ; 

 but it was hardly worth while trying Pitsford, as he 

 was never a day alike ; and in fact they thought him 

 most brilliant when he was a yearling. Grecian gave 

 7lbs. and two years to Equiria over the T.Y.C. before 

 he came out at Stockbridge and Newmarket. Andover 

 showed himself so well, with Hermit in the spring, and 

 took such a steady preparation, that the stable never 

 hedged a penny ; and the style in which he gave 

 Hermit /lbs., and a half-length beating, in a rough 



