SOME LIVERPOOLS, INCLUDING KIRKLAND'S 



dragging the station omnibus and running about the 

 country in a dogcart on hire to commercial travellers and 

 others. A story is told of the Rubio of a somewhat 

 later day when he had become a 'chaser again and — what 

 had once seemed preposterous — his Liverpool prospects 

 were being discussed. Someone expressed a doubt as 

 to his lasting the course, as to whether indeed he could 

 get three miles. "Not get three miles! " one of those 

 present in the inn parlour exclaimed, "Why, I've driven 

 him thirty myself! " 



Rubio had been under the charge of Mr. F. E. 

 Withington at Danebury, which was of course a 

 guarantee that everything possible in the way of an 

 effective preparation had been done. It happened, 

 however, that in Mr. Withington's stable at this time 

 there was a mare called Mattie Macgregor, the property 

 of Sir William Cooper, Major Douglas Tennant's 

 father-in-law — a six-year-old, who was supposed to be 

 at any rate the better of the Stockbridge pair. Mr. 

 Withington had an idea that she would run prominently 

 at least, and she figured in the market at 25 to i, odds 

 of four times that amount having in several cases been 

 laid against Rubio, though the return was " 66 to i 

 others," amongst whom he figured. 



The favourite was Kirkland. Though four years had 

 elapsed since his victory, at the age of twelve he was now 

 remarkably fresh and well, and his accustomed jockey, 

 Mason, was on his back. The stable had a strong 



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