68 THE TURF 



carried two or three hundred yards before 

 the horse loosened his hold. Old Forester, 

 a horse that belonged to Captain Vernon, 

 all the while I remained at Newmarket was 

 obliged to be kept apart, and to live at 

 grass, where he was confined to a close 

 paddock. Except Tom Watson, a younger 

 brother of John, he would suffer no lad to 

 come near him. If in his paddock, he 

 would run furiously at the first person that 

 approached; and if in the stable, would 

 kick and assault every one within his reach. 

 When I had been about a year and a half 

 at Newmarket, Captain Vernon thought 

 proper to match Forester against Elephant, 

 a horse belonging to Sir Jennison Shafto, 

 whom, by the bye, I saw ride this famous 

 match. It was a four-mile heat over the 

 straight course; and the abilities of Forester 

 were such, that he passed the flat, ascended 

 the hill as far as the distance post, nose to 

 nose with Elephant, so that John Watson, 

 who rode him, began to conceive hopes. 

 Between this and the chair, Elephant, in 

 consequence of hard whipping, got some 

 little way before him, while Forester exerted 

 every possible power to recover at least his 



