150 CHASING AND RACING 



pilot ; but fate, in the form of a bad attack of " 'flu," 

 upset my calculations, though I determined to let 

 Latimer take his chance just to see how he would shape 

 among real, live racehorses. I obtained the services of 

 my good friend Schwabe, who failed to land him a 

 winner in a big field, by a neck only to the bad of 

 Barmecide, who was then at his best. Subsequently 

 I rode the chestnut " hunter " at Sandown ; but 

 apparently he was off colour, for he was dull and list- 

 less and gave no sort of show. Once more, for some 

 reason or other, I had to give my ride a miss in baulk at 

 Lewes, where he showed his partiality for this particular 

 course by winning cleverly in the hands of my old friend 

 and Harrow school- fellow, Major " Bobby " Fisher. 



Then I put him to hurdling, and he took to the 

 game as a duck to water. I tried him to be a veritable 

 smasher, and got Roddy Owen to ride him over the 

 sticks in an important race at Kempton. He came 

 to the last flight pulling over the leading horse, and his 

 victory seemed assured ; but the other struck a hurdle 

 and set it on end, with the result that poor Latimer hit 

 it a resounding bang and came to his knees. He pulled 

 up on three legs. It was obvious that he was badly 

 injured on the near knee-cap ; and so it proved, for 

 though put in slings, the joint oil ran, and a friendly 

 bullet had to be requisitioned to put an end to his 

 sufferings. 



Very bad luck this ! That he would have proved 

 himself a champion hurdler I have not the least doubt 



