The Godolpkin Arabian^ 169 



horse," and the lop-eared Patty Primrose by Margrave 

 was anything but a flower of loveHness. 



Her owner, Stables, had some theory The Horse Sir 

 about " taking a real fancy," which con- Tatton Sykes. 

 sisted in leading his mare round and round the horse, 

 and as Dick humoured him for a quarter of an hour, 

 he might well in after-years attribute the fulfilment of 

 his prophecy, *' Fin certain to have winner of t'Leger," 

 to the unfettered working of the charm. However, he 

 had to sell the mare, when she was in foal, for eighteen 

 pounds ; and when one of the ugliest and coarsest 

 little creatures that ever breathed Yorkshire air came 

 to yearling estate, it had such fine ribs and gaskins 

 that Bill Scott, who was a wonderful judge of young 

 stock, and made up his mind at a glance, gave a hun- 

 dred for it. He had a good deal of trouble with its 

 christening. First he called it " Tibthorpe," from the 

 farm where it was dropped. Then it became " Jack 

 Robson ;" but as his friend Jack contradicted him 

 about something one day, he withdrew the honour, 

 and placed the colt in the Baronetage at once as " Sir 

 Tatton Sykes." As in duty bound. Sir Tatton came 

 over to see it ; and on his remarking, " Dear me ! Mr. 

 Scott, hozv his head grows r Bill fervently responded, 

 " Look at his hocks ! Those will take him np the hill 

 071 the Surrey side r And so they would have done 

 to a certainty if Bill hadn't got off so badly to begin 

 with, and then made matters worse by almost 

 stopping his horse to give the starter a bit of his mind. 

 Doncaster put things to rights, and after the real Sir 

 Tatton had led him back to scale, he made an ap- 

 pointment for " five to-morrow morning, sir," with Mr. 

 Herring, to be painted at his namesake's side. 



The Melbourne blood nicked well with ,. ,. „ 



t rr^ 1 .ITT A 1' 1 MelDoume. 



the Touchstone m West Australian, but 



it sometimes happened that when he was put to 



Touchstone mares, he got them, as in the case of 



Sortie, too long. Blanche of Middlebie, who was so 



