The Life of Fred Archer 267 
" His whole heart and soul were in the business he had in 
hand. He was almost invariably the first to weigh out, the 
first at the starting-post, the first away when the flag fell, 
and, as the records show, very often the first to pass the winning- 
post. I am afraid he was not too scrupulous. Very masterful, 
he generally had pretty much his own way, especially in minor 
races. If he did not want a horse to run he never hesitated 
to suggest to the owner that he should keep the horse in the 
stable that day. In short, Fred Archer was a powerful per- 
sonality as well as a briUiantly successful jockey." 
The satisfaction John Porter derived from Ormonde's per- 
formances that year was sadly discounted by a discovery he 
made on the Kingsclere Downs one misty morning shortly 
before he won the St. Leger. As Ormonde galloped past him 
he heard the horse make a whistling noise. John was 
dumbfounded. 
The idea that the horse he almost worshipped was afflicted 
with wind infirmity distressed him very much. He hardly 
slept all the following night. His mind would dwell on the 
fact that Ormonde had become a victim of that scourge, 
roaring ! He at once wrote to the Duke, who was naturally 
deeply grieved by the news. At that period the ailment was 
very slight, but it gradually grew worse. 
As a four-year-old Ormonde did not run until Ascot, but be- 
fore this he beat St. Mirin at even weights in a trial, and as the 
latter, receiving 10 lb., ran Minting to a length in the Jubilee 
Cup, Porter knew that, although Ormonde was a " roarer," 
he had not lost his form. 
Ormonde continued to surprise owners of other horses. 
In the Rous Memorial Stakes he was set to give 25 lb. to Kil- 
warhn, then a three-year-old and later the winner of the St. 
Leger, and before the race Captain Machell said to Porter, " The 
horse was never foaled that could give Kilwarlin 25 lb. and 
beat him." 
The opinion of a judge like Captain Machell was entitled to 
