86 ASHGILL. 



was a bad beginner, but had a grand sweeping 

 stride, and was the gamest of the game. He 

 came out at Stockton, where he ran second in the 

 Hardwicke Stakes to Lord Hawthorn, with which 

 horse Sir R. Jardine declared to win. He was 

 third to Minaret and his stable companion, 

 Thorwaldsen, the next day in the Lambton 

 Plate, and won a Biennial at York ; and in 

 the Middle Park Plate, which was the last 

 race for which he ran in 18G8, he was third to 

 Pero Gomez and Scottish Queen, to both of 

 whom he was concedino- weio^ht. 



The Two Thousand he won with ease from the 

 roaring but speedy Belladrum, but the Derby 

 was a 'tight fit,' and was one of those very few 

 races where the judge's verdict did not agree 

 Avith the opinions of those byestanders who were 

 in the best position to see the race. Wells, who 

 was on Pero Gomez, always thought that he won; 

 and he said to Osborne, as they rode back to 

 scale, ''I've just done you, Johnny." Osborne 

 replied, with characteristic caution, " I think it 

 Avas a dead heat." 



As Tom Dawson walked down to the paddock 

 to lead his horse in, one of those ' hangers on ' 

 on the turf who go from meeting to meeting, 

 living no one knows how, greeted him familiarly 

 with " Well done, old Tom Dawson,"' to which 

 Dawson replied, in no very amiable temper, 

 " Well done be d , I'm only second." "You've 



