88 The Post and the Paddock. 



energy and success, and over and over- again dis- 

 comfited Dick Carr and the other leaders of the 

 circuit, by " waiting till they had ridden each other to 

 a standstill, and then pouncing on them at the post." 

 His capital riding atoned to his uncle for his impa- 

 tience of stable discipline ; and his lordship's French 

 valet, after receiving many a gallant heel-and-toe 

 assault from him when he tried to put him out of the 

 still-room, was fain at last to make peace with him on 

 the same grounds. The Earl was a man who went 

 strictly on John Osborne's principle, that ^^ if a horse 

 wants sweating, you may as well sweat him for the 

 brass',' and his numerous victories in 1 800-1 so raised 

 the reputation of Sam and Smallman, that the Prince 

 engaged the latter as his trainer, and in 1802 again 

 ranked among English turfites. His new training 

 quarters were fixed at Albury Grange, near Win- 

 chester, and his stud consisted, hunters and all, of 

 about sixteen. Sam accompanied his uncle thither, 

 for a few weeks, and mounted the magnificent "purple 

 jacket with scarlet sleeves, and gold-braid buttons, 

 and black cap with gold tassel" of the Prince for the 

 first time at the Stockbridge Meeting of that year. 

 Chifney senior was still one of the Turf lions of the 

 day, and hence there was no little anxiety among the 

 Hampshire yokels to see his little son perform. No- 

 thing could have been abler than his riding, but he 

 was beaten a short head on a Fidget colt. This day 

 was always pleasantly marked in his mind as the real 

 and long-wished-for beginning of his riding career, 

 and his favourite farm was christened after the colt's 

 sire. 



The brothers met next at the Grange, after a two- 

 years' separation, and it was settled that Sam should 

 return to Newmarket, and be attached to the stables 

 of Perren, who was then in considerable repute as a 

 trainer, and Will take his place as assistant to his 

 uncle. The Albury arrangement did not, however, 



