SOME LIVERPOOLS, INCLUDING KIRKLAND'S 



to lo St. lolb., was a fair way of dealino- with Kirkland. 

 Ambush II. was dropped i lb., which appeared to show 

 that the handicappers had summed up the situation with 

 a good deal of accuracy : they had to recognise that he 

 had not won, but at the same time he was probably 

 unlucky not to have done so. The previous year's 

 winner did not reach the post. I forget why, but 

 imagine he must have broken down, as he had been out 

 for the Liverpool Trial Handicap Steeplechase at San- 

 down early in the month. Detail's second accounted 

 for an addition of 8 lb. to his burden, from 9 st. 131b.. 

 to 10 St. 7 lb. There were in all six and twenty starters, 

 Ambush II. a strong favourite at 7 to 2, which cannot 

 be regarded as anything^ like a fair price in a Liverpool, 

 for the reason that it is usually a shade of odds against 

 any horse completing the distance safely. 



Inquisitor led over the first fence, where mishaps 

 began, though the falling of Railoff can scarcely have 

 affected the result. But a more important disaster was 

 impending, for at the third fence the Royal colours, worn 

 by A. Anthony, were brought down, Dearslayer, who 

 was supposed to have an outside chance, also falling. 

 The field, indeed, was speedily thinned. At the fourth 

 fence my old friends Cushendun and Inquisitor both 

 toppled over, and at the jump before Becher's Brook no 

 fewer than five came to grief — Patlander, Hill of Bree, 

 Comfit, to whom reference has just been made, Kiora 

 and Loch Lomond, the latter breaking his neck. 



59 



