sent to Doncaster for the six furlong Champagne Stakes in which he again met Admiral Hawke as well as the unbeaten Lemberg who was made odds-on favourite after his win in the New Stakes. Neil Gow won impressively, leading to his being described as "probably the best two-year-old in England". Lemberg went on to beat Whisk Broom II in both the Middle Park Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October. On Neil Gow's final appearance of the season he was opposed by only two rivals in the £3,000 Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton Park on 8 October. In a performance reminiscent of his run at Sandown, the colt was left ten lengths behind the other runners at the start, but recovered to catch Sunningdale in the closing stages and won by a head. His win at Kempton took Neil Gow's earnings for the season to £10,306, making him the third most financially successful horse of the British season, behind the classic winning three-year-olds Bayardo and Minoru. In October, Neil Gow was given top weight in the Free Handicap, a rating of the year's best two-year-olds, three pounds above Lemberg who was in turn five pounds clear of Admiral Hawke and Whisk Broom. Concerns were however expressed about the colt's temperament, which had reportedly grown "worse with every public appearance". 1910: three-year-old season Before the season began, there was much speculation concerning the riding plans of the American jockey Danny Maher. According to reports in the Telegraph he was offered £3,000 to partner Lemberg in the classics, but accepted a rival offer of £5,000 to ride Neil Gow, contingent on his winning the Derby. The booking of one of a leading jockey was seen as particularly important, given Neil Gow's reputation as a difficult horse to ride. On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Neil Gow, carrying a ten-pound weight penalty, was matched against Whisk Broom in the Craven Stakes over Newmarket's Rowley Mile course on 14 April. He appeared beaten when losing his place two furlongs from the finish but produced an "extraordinary" run to overtake his rivals and won by three lengths despite being eased down by Maher in the closing stages. On a warm, sunny afternoon thirteen days later, Neil Gow started 2/1 favourite for the 2000 Guineas over the same course and distance, with Lemberg on 7/2. He was less troublesome before the race than