CHASING AND RACING 123 



M.F.H. It was, however, during the latter that I ran 

 my first horse in a " legitimate " race. One day, Jesse 

 Winfield asked me if I would like to see my colours 

 carried triumphantly under N.H. rules. Having 

 notified, in a half-hearted way, that I was willing, my 

 trainer of ponies went on to say that he had picked up 

 an ancient crock which, thanks to the application of 

 his remarkable embrocation, had been rendered sound 

 enough to stand a gallop or two. 



* You can have him for a song, Capting, and enter 

 him for an overnight selling hurdle race at Kempton. 

 If he doesn't break down he will win. Then you can 

 let him go, for he won't stand another race. It's 

 worth a gamble. What do you say ? " 



" Right O ! Go ahead ! And now, pray what is 

 this decrepit but possibly brilliant steed that you have 

 got hold of Jesse ? " 



* What do you say to a Chester Cup winner, 

 Capting ? " 



" Rats ! " 



" Honest truth. It's The Reefer, who annexed 

 the Cup and the cheese in 1879." * 



Sure enough, the old fellow managed to stand 

 up, and scored quite comfortably. Needless to say, 

 I did not buy him in, nor have I any idea what 

 his subsequent career may have been ; but it was 

 something to have made good with my first venture 

 under "Rules," and to have owned even though 

 * Seven years previous to this conversation. 



