CAMBRIDGESHIRE PERFORMANCES 303 



well, too; though this is just the contrary to the generally 

 received opinion. The ' old school ' used to back the 

 horses that in the Cesarewitch were leading through the 

 Ditch-gap, which is about the same distance as the Cam- 

 bridgeshire. But later experience shows pretty clearly 

 the fallacy of such an opinion ; for now the winner of the 

 last great handicap of the year is usually fbund amongst 

 those horses that are well up at the Bushes, if he is not 

 actually the winner of the preceding race as in the case 

 of Eosebery and Foxhall, and with Plaisanterie in 1885 ; 

 and a little reflection will show why this is so. The first 

 race is run over, perhaps, the easiest two-mile-and-a- 

 quarter course in England. For, after starting, the 

 horses have but one little incline to ascend until they 

 come to ' Choke Jade ' before passing the Ditch, and the 

 rest of the way is downhill, except at the rise out of the 

 Abingdon Mile Bottom to the finish. But with the Cam- 

 bridgeshire it is very different, it being run over the most 

 severe course one mile and a distance in this country ; 

 and taking place, as it always does, later in the autumn, 

 when it is wet and heavy going, and with a lot of little 

 boys as riders, which makes it additionally difficult to 

 ' get over,' as from the severity of the pace one-half of 

 them are hopelessly beaten before two-thirds of the race 

 have been run. Hobble Noble and Allbrook were not 

 good stayers, and, though much the best horses on the 

 day, through the mud, and badly ridden as they were, 

 lost the race from the lack of staying qualities. Mary 

 lost it in Sultan's year from the same cause, or from not 

 being properly trained; whereas Catch 'em Alive and 

 Weatherbound won it entirely from sheer gameness, both 

 being apparently quite beaten past hope half a mile from 

 home. Again, Foxhall struggled for victory as for life 

 with the most indomitable pluck until the goal was 



