AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 139 



in the long annals of the greatest of the three classic 

 contests. In his simple, brief, matter-of-fact way 

 John recited the outline of the race in the following 

 words : — 



" I can't remember now how it was that Lord 

 St. Vincent gave me the mount on Lord Clifden 

 when I rode the horse to victory in 1863. At 

 Ashgill we had a few useful two-year-olds that 

 year. There was Lord Arthur, Little Stag, Lady 

 of Coverham, and Coastguard — all very smart. 

 Coastguard was bred by and belonged to Mr. 

 Wm. Hudson, who sold him, after he had won 

 the Gimcrack Stakes, to Mr. Naylor for £1200, 

 if I remember right. My father bred the other 

 three. Now, with regard to Lord Clifden and 

 the St. Leger, Fordham had ridden the horse 

 in all his two-year-old races, and I suppose it 

 was because he was engaged to ride something 

 else in the St. Leger that I got the mount. When 

 the flag fell Blondin cannoned against my horse, 

 and I lost a bit start. Somehow or other I 

 quickly kept dropping further behind. When 

 we got to the mile and a half post I touched 

 him with the spur to see if he would go, 

 but he did not respond. I took hold of him 

 and gave him a second dig, and he never 

 answered. I let him alone until he got to 

 the top of the hill and asked him to go. He 

 answered as soon as we began to go down the 

 hill; he quickly ran through his horses, and, as 

 you know, won cleverly. I can't tell you how 

 far I was behind in the race : it was certainly 

 a long way. Lord Clifden was a bad beginner ; 

 in his two-year-old race he began slowly. The 



