310 CAMBRIDGESHIRE TRIALS 



head, when the next three were so close together that 

 the judge could not separate them. Did not J. Adams 

 ride Elcho also in the Metropolitan with the consummate 

 skill of an artist when he defeated Caractacus by a head, 

 and Asteroid a neck, ridden by that accomplished jockey, 

 Wells, then in his prime? Or who ever rode a better 

 race than he did on Weatherbound for the Cambridge- 

 shire, when in the last stride he won by a head ? I have 

 seen many other stable-boys ride equally well, and could 

 refer to hundreds of such instances ; but shall only 

 allude to one more in a rather remarkable race. This 

 took place at Brighton, when E. Bird, who had never 

 ridden in public before, although he had occasionally 

 ridden in my trials, was up on the worst favourite out of 

 fourteen runners, and after an exciting and most interest- 

 ing finish, won by a head, beating one of the most ac- 

 complished jockeys of the day in a very masterly style 

 a performance the excellence of which was this once, 

 for a wonder, recognised by the public ! 



To say that races are not sometimes lost by over- 

 anxiety on the part of the lad to 'get home,' would be an 

 extravagant assertion ; yet in candour their best friends 

 will, I am sure, readily admit that, on scientific principles, 

 jockeys often lose races by lying ' out of their ground ' in 

 the early part, or by coming at a critical instant just too 

 late at the finish, after a wonderful display of horseman- 

 ship. The effect is powerfully thrilling and most admir- 

 able, but still unsatisfactory to all but themselves and 

 the mob. I do not say for a moment that jockeys do 

 not ride good races also, and many of them just as, 

 viewing the matter as I do, I do not believe for a moment 

 that it is any reflection on their ability to be on occasion 

 beaten by the others, who are, as I have said, experienced 

 riders. Still, there is the fact that they are often so 



