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ENGLISH TRAINER OF THE OLD SCHOOL How John Day of Danebury Repeated with the Famous Virago Few public men in liis way of life had more marked personal peculiarities than John Day of Danebury It was In fact impossible to mistake Honest John on liis horse He had a very notice ¬ able hollow in the back good widtli of shoulder and a peculiar cast of countenance there was no mistaking lie was altogether a wellmade little man but be was scarcely ever a great horseman He rather wanted style particularly in his setto but he was a careful safe man and seldom made a mistake It was as a trainer that John Day made his mark There was no better judge of a young one and no one knew better what to do with him if he could only stay to learn all John could teach him But his preparation was proverbially severe and not many could stand it itWell Well John said Isaac Sadler to him one day as he was watching three of liis twoyearolds at exercise Well John what do you think of them 2 John beggared bis limbs and hinted something not very complimentary complimentaryOli Oli never mind answered Isaac I will tell you what they have got John They have got twelve sound legs amongst them and thats more than you can count amongst your fifty up there thereOn On another occasion John liimseif asked a friends opinion of five youngsters of Lord 1eiitincks that had just come up from Doncaster DoncasterWhy Why they wont stand your training a fort ¬ night blurted out the other otherMy My training What dye mean by that sir sirWell Well said his friend softening dewn a bit I think the Danebury Hill will be a leetle too much for them And snrc enough in a fortnight two of liis velocipedes had thrown out curbs But find a clipper to face the Danebury Hill and he was sure to come a cracker Despite the fact that a pot now and then boiled over people knew tills and treated the stable even its most fanciful hu ¬ mors with a degree of respect respectFew Few horses have ever created such a sensatjon as Virago did when she was brought to Epsom to run for the City and Suburban and MetroH iitan Stakes of 1S51 and thus the mystery which long had shrouded her was dispelled For the Suburban young John Day of Danebury had a great favorite in Marc Antony but lie got frightened when his father said lie had a better mare than even Crucifix whom he had trained and nothing had a chance beside her Virago won it will be recollected in a canter and Honest John repeated that tlie Metropolitan was an equally great certainty It wns In vain that the old mans patron Mr Gre vllle came to him and told him lie had tried Mus ¬ covite so that no threeyearold alive could beat him John would not listen to anything he had to say but simply met all his arguments by She is wortii your iifiOO sir and away went Mr Gre vllle groaning at the thought of having to meet such an animal After Virago had won as easily as before the veteran was In great force and Na ¬ poleon was never prouder of the Old Guard than he was of liis chestnut chestnutHow How did you manage to get lier in so well John Inquired Lord Derby with a sly twinkle in bis eye for no one relished a conversation with old lordshipI John Day more than his lordship I will tell yon how I did it my lord was tlie reply I ran her big at Shrewsbury and told Wells to pull her up directly sho was beaten Capital wasnt it And away went Lord Derby highly amused with tlie explanation though he was too prudent to offer any comment upon it Thor nianl 3 in London Sportsman
