130 The Life of Fred Archer 
we are dealing with the year 1879, to see what Archer thought 
of Wheel of Fortune. " Rapier " writes : 
" ' How about your race on St. Simon against Tom Cannon 
on Duke of Richmond ? ' I inquired of Archer. ' It's interest- 
ing, because the question is by how much St. Simon is the best 
three-year-old in training ; for I suppose there's no doubt about 
his being so by a long way. Tom Cannon tells me he wasn't 
beaten quite so easily as people seem to think in the match at 
the Kempton Meeting, and that 6 lb. and 7 lb. might have made 
all the difference.' 
'"I know Tom thinks that, but I won very easy — very 
easy indeed,' replied Archer. ' I don't suppose 12 lb. would 
quite bring them together — at least St. Simon would beat him. 
There's no better judge of horses than Tom Cannon, but I 
think St. Simon is a good deal better than he supposes. 
Mr. Dawson says that St. Simon is the best colt he ever 
saw.' 
" ' That's saying a good deal ! ' I said. ' There have been 
some good ones at Heath House. What do you think the best 
you ever rode ? ' 
" ' Well, St. Simon, I suppose,' Archer rephed, ' but Wheel 
of Fortune was a wonderfully fine mare. I don't think I was 
ever on a better. She must have been good, too. In the 
spring of 1879 we tried Wheel of Fortune at weight for age 
against the Leger winners of the two years before, Silvio and 
Jannette, and Wheel of Fortune won in a canter. That was 
good enough to go on,' 
Good enough to make the One Thousand a certainty, 
unlike so many of those uncertainties that don't come off ? ' I 
answered. 
Yes, and there's a good two-year-old at Heath House now, 
out of Wheel of Fortune, that ought to fetch a long price at 
the sale. A real good one, I should think ; but she's only 
been cantering about, hasn't been tried, so we don't really 
know what she can do, though she looks like galloping.' 
