82 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



eagerness of the jockeys to get away, each striving 

 to be half a second before the other competitors. 



' Nothing can possibly be more annoying, mortify- 

 ing, and vexations to the owners of race-horses than 

 to witness a recurrence after recurrence of false 

 starts. The animals become irritated, fretful, restive, 

 and restless ; the spirit and physical power which 

 should have been rendered available during the race 

 are wasted to a useless purpose. A striking proof 

 of this occurred at the St. Leger in 1827. Twenty- 

 six horses came to the post. Mr. Gully's Mameluke 

 was the favourite. By some means or other he got 

 irritated, turned restive, plunged, reared, and tried 

 every means to throw his rider Chifney, and then 

 stood stock-still. At the eighth attempt — and many 

 of them had gone three or four times to nearly the 

 top of the hill — the great body of them got away ; 

 but Mameluke was left behind. The feelin^xs of Mr. 

 Gully, who was heavily hit on this occasion, may be 

 readily imagined. Mameluke, however, set off him- 

 self, about seventy yards "behind the leading horses. 

 The extraordinary speed at which he was going may 

 be imagined when it is stated that, on reaching the 

 top of the hill, about three-quarters of a mile, he had 

 passed upwards of twenty of his competitors with 

 his violet jacket and white cap. On reaching the 

 two-year-old starting-post — a mile from home — 

 Matilda, who led the race, seemed on the point of 

 being headed. At the Red House Mameluke fairly 



