332 STEEPLE-CHASING, 



and the mount fell to Mr. Atkinson; but danger to Cloister 

 was apprehended chiefly from the Primate, a six-year-old, 

 who, though light of bone, and not, as the phrase goes, ' filling 

 the eye ■" as a chaser, was known to have pleased his very shrewd 

 and accomplished friends. An Irish five-year-old called 

 Ardcarn was also fancied, as were two horses called Hollington 

 and Jason, but as regards these last two, mainly because they 

 were trained by the brothers Joseph and Tom Cannon, both 

 of whom had been successful in the training, and one in the 

 riding, of Grand National horses. 



Mr. Dormer, on Cloister, made running at a fast pace, and 

 was therefor both commended and adversely criticised. On 

 one hand it was pointed out that the horse had to carry 12 st. 

 3 lbs., and should consequently not have been taken to the front; 

 that Mr. Dormer, in fact, should have waited with him and let 

 the light weights make the pace. On the other hand it was 

 maintained that it would have been folly to interfere with and 

 pull about a free striding horse, and that Mr. Dormer, an 

 admittedly sound judge who had ridden the horse continually 

 in his work and won races on him, knew best what to do. 

 Doubtless in this case the latter contention was right. Cloister 

 led till some quarter of a mile from home, when Captain Owen 

 on Father O'TJynn (in receipt of two stone all but two pounds) 

 went up to the leader, and, leaving him, won by twenty lengths. 

 The winner, a son of Retreat and Kathleen, was a very shifty 

 horse, liable to stop and refuse to try if anything interfered 

 with him, and the greatest credit was therefore due to his rider 

 for the judgment and patience he displayed. Ilex was ag.iin a 

 bad third ; Midshipmite came down when he was said to 

 have been going well, indeed ' if he had not fallen,' &c. &:c. 



The National of 1893 ^'^^ to upset a singularly absurd 

 tradition that was held by certain writers on sport and others 

 who should have been better informed, to the effect that no 

 horse weighted at over 12 stone ever would or could win the 

 race. It had, indeed, been won in 1867 by Cortolvin carrying 

 II St. 13. lbs., but it seemed to be supposed that the additional 



