78 ASHGILL. 



find a satisfactory reason. It is an evil, too, 

 which the pubHc, ever prone to account for things 

 in its own peculiar manner, scarcely ever takes 

 into consideration when reckoning up the per- 

 formances of racehorses, with the result that it 

 frequently gets its fingers burnt. Apology was 

 apparently as fit and well as ever she was when 

 she went to York to run in the Great Northern 

 Handicap in 1876. 



If ever men were justified in laying odds on a 

 horse, surely it was on this occasion, for the 

 company she had to meet was moderate, the best 

 of a bad lot being Polonaise, to whom she was 

 giving 24lbs. So two to one Avas betted on her 

 gaily ; but by the time they got to the Middle- 

 thorpe turn it was evident she was out of it, and 

 she could only get fourth, beaten seven lengths 

 by the winner. 



The only way by which Osborne could account 

 for the loss of form was that she had been too 

 little in public. He has an opinion that there 

 are some horses that can be galloped at home 

 amongst inferior horses till they lose their dash, 

 and absolutely will not race when they come 

 amongst other horses. There was some talk of 

 giving her a special preparation for the Ascot 

 Cup, in which she was engaged, but he advised 

 that she should be run in public whenever there 

 was an opportunity. His counsels prevailed, 

 and she Avas sent to Manchester, where she ran 



