SOME LIVERPOOLS, INCLUDING KIRKLAND'S 



riding at Ostend, was quite a competent amateur, and 

 had indeed won races against the best professional 

 jockeys. He was not, however, the ideal horseman who 

 would have been chosen had choice been unlimited, and 

 finally it was decided to put up Percy Woodland, who 

 was undoubtedly quite in the first rank in England and 

 France alike ; for much of his work had been done on 

 the other side of the Channel. Manifesto's weight had 

 been slightly reduced. When third to Shannon Lass 

 he had carried i2st. 8 lb., now he had i2st. 3 lb., the 

 fact of his being fifteen years of age having been taken 

 into consideration, but as much as 25 to i was on offer 

 against him. 



The Duke of Westminster's Drumree not very far 

 from home fell heavily on the flat. I am not aware of 

 the cause of this mishap ; it was attributed by some 

 to his having been attacked by a fit of the staggers. 

 A foolish member of the House of Commons, a 

 Mr. Lough, who, I fancy, represented Islington at 

 that time, conceived the idea that the horse was 

 dead, a victim of the remorseless cruelty of owner 

 and jockey, and he asked a question in the House of 

 Commons about it ; but at the time when the question 

 was put Drumree, far from being a corpse, was gaily 

 striding out on his training ground and requiring a good 

 deal of holding. Drumcree did not win as easily as had 

 seemed likely just before the last fence was reached. 

 Mr. White-Heather's Detail, who never did much else- 



55 



