240 FIELD AND FERN. 



I had a faster one than either of them North Star, 

 who won two or three heats at Newcastle and Lan- 

 caster. I measured his stride on the sands,, where 

 it is always rather shorter than on turf. It was 

 17 feet, and 18 feet by urging, and The Cure's only 

 16. Nuthook's was 17, and The General colt's 

 17 feet 7 inches. 



" They did their regular work on Monifeith Links, 

 between here and Broughty Ferry. It was once a race- 

 course, but now it's cut up with rabbits. There are 

 Barrie Links near it, and some stables of the late Lord 

 Panmure's on it under the wood. His horses were 

 there once. John Howe from Newmarket trained 

 there. I thought six weeks or two months quite 

 enough to train The Cure or any other horse. He 

 soon took the ditches nicely enough in my practice : 

 he took the little ditches fine. I raced him, did I ? 

 I put in a first appearance with him at Perth. Davie, 

 the lad, rode him, and he was third and last to Hari- 

 cot. The saddle turned round, and Davie fell. I 

 heard the cry, ' The boy's off!' I leapt the Stand 

 rails, and a trainer's horse knocked me down. When 

 I came round, I found myself in the weighing-house. 

 I had got my cheek-bone broken, and a black eye. 

 ' Did I take The Cure, thai night when I got home 

 from Perth, to the crying wife ?' ' Na ! it would be 

 Lily Adey, Fse sure o't.' After Paisley, I rode him 

 myself at Stirling, and took him off after the second 

 heat. I thought they would seize him. I used to 

 go to the races with my toggery under my coat and 



