Chapter IV. 

 BLOODSTOCK AND RACING. 



I WON quite a number of races on the flat with 

 horses I bred. I had a very good horse called 

 Prince Umbria. When I bought him I had not 

 arranged who to send him to. I was walking up 

 the street at Newmarket with Charlie McNeill. 

 I was talking to him about this and I remember 

 saying : "I wish I could get Fred Darling to 

 take him." CharHe McNeill said : " Why, there 

 is his father just in front of us. I will introduce 

 you to him." And I so well remember Mr. Sam 

 Darling (Fred's father) saying : " Why, I would 

 start training again myself if my son cannot take 

 the horse." 



I had never seen Fred but I soon felt 

 he would become a noted trainer. He won several 

 races for me, but once he gave me bad advice. 

 I was ofl^ered 6,000 for Prince Umbria, and, 

 naturally, was very keen to sell. It was a large 

 sum of money to me, but Fred was very opposed to 

 selling him. He said that he thought he would be 

 one of the best of his year. I felt I must give way, 

 as, you see, Fred had brought the horse on and 

 taken so much trouble with him. But he dis- 

 appointed us, and eventually I had to take 700 for 

 him. He won a race with a filly called Hardistone. 



60 



