 In 1899 James Machell sold his Newmarket stables to Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont, a wealthy racehorse owner, who was Langtry's brother-in-law, having married Hugo de Bathe's sister Winifred in 1897.He was also related to Langtry's first husband, Edward, whose ship-owning grandfather, George, had married into the County Antrim Callwell family, being related in marriage to the McCalmonts.Told of a good horse for sale in Australia called Merman, she purchased it and had it shipped to England; such shipments were risky and she had a previous bad experience with a horse arriving injured (Maluma).