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JOHN PORTERS TURF CAREER His Connection With the Royal Stable— Purchase of Perdita II.— Seven Derbies. John Porter, the famous English trainer who died last Tuesday, first became connected with the royal stable in 1KS6, when the Prince of Wales Hater King Edward sent some horses to him upon the recommendation of Lord Alington. Porter it w.is who persuaded King Edward to buy that great breed mare Perdita II. Mr. David Falconer, a Mark Lane jute broker, who raced as "Mr. Ben-holm." owned her and asked a thousand guineas for her. Porter liked the looks of her, although she was angular, but she looked like a likely brood ma tron. She gained fame as the mot Iter of Persimmon lsit.ii. by St. Simon; Diamond Jubilee 1*07, hy St. Simon; Florizol lSll, by St. Simon, and San dringban IM « , by st. Bhaea. The latter wen. to Ameri.i and was a failure except for Saudria. In his baeh Porter told of the Prince ami Perdita II. in this way: "I bad to see the Prince that morning in his room at the Jockey Club. I told him about Perdita II.. anil that I had seen her. " They are asking a thousand for her. sir, but I may be able to get her for a little leas. The Prince a Ac, I me whether I thought she would do for his stud, and I said. Tee.* Then. said the Prince, you can buy her if yon can get her for nine hundred. . . . When Sir Dighton Probyn was banding over the money to me. he said, You will ruin the Prince if you go on buying these thoroughbreds. What a bargain Perdita II. turned out: . . . Perdita II. became a perfect gold mine. The Prince, some years after he had become King, said to me: •When you bought her you as gead as made me a present of a quarter of a million of money. " A BARGAIN IN PERDITA II. King Edward had all his racing for nothing. The produce of Perdita II. won twenty-six races, worth 64,465, including Persimmons 76,566, Diamond Jubilees 46,625, and Florizol II. s 9,290. When at the stud those three horses earned about 5750.-XlO in fees. Diamond Jubilee was sold to the Argentine for 56,606. And so we get at the quarter of a million which King Edward calculated he had realized by the aid of the produce of that game little eiare. In 1S9S the Duke of Portlands horses went to Kingsclere to be trained, and the autobiography recalls stories of La Roche. William the Third, the closing years at Kingsclere. and the laying of the Newbury r-.ir course, a scheme upon which Mr. Porter staked his good name and fortune when his training days were over. For Sir Joseph Hawiey John Porter won 115 races, worth *347,sso: for Mr. F. Urettoa, 145 races, worth 88,656; for Mr. John Gretton, fifty-five race-, worth fas. 490; for Lord Alington and Sir F. Johnstone. 114 races, worth S..17.760; for the late Duke of Westminster. 266 races, worth ,L;J,4.7L0; for the late King Edward, eighteen races, worth 3,840; for Mr. W. Low. sixty seven races, worth 3li,G70; for Mr. Francis Aexaiuier. thirty-three races, worth 8,525; for the late P.aron Hirsch. thirty-nine races, worth 21,155; for Lord Crewe, sixteen races, worth 5,666; for the Duke of Portland, forty-eight races. worth S2i7.04." . and for the present Duke of Westminster, sixteen races, valued at ." .FJ0. All told. John Porter*! 425 successful horses won 1,668 races valued at .ti00.105, and adding to that the sums credited to horses that were placed second and third, to wit, 37. S10. we arrive at a grand total of S3. 927, 91.".. Seven times did John Iorters horses win the Derby, thrice the Oaks, six times the St. I.eger. five times the Two Thousand Guineas and twice the One Thousand Guineas.
