AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 163 



viz., Rabbit Girl and Rabbit Trap, formed a new 

 nucleus. Old patrons in Mr. " Launde " and Mr. 

 Charlton left their horses in the stable. The year '66 

 was not marked by any bright particular star, Romping 

 Girl being the best of a moderate lot ; Caxton, owned by 

 Mr. Anthony Harrison, an old employer, also running a 

 bit. John did very little riding this year, devoting most 

 of his time to the stable work. In the fore part of the 

 season Lord Glasgow put him up a few times, and he 

 won a few races on Sundeelah with chance mounts. In 

 '67 he found two new employers in Mr. Johnstone and 

 Mr. Robert Jardine, who were then confederates. That 

 year they owned Tynedale and Mandrake as three-year- 

 olds. Taking up the thread of John's story^ he relates — 

 "Jimmy Cameron rode Mandrake this year, 

 and won the Ebor Handicap on him. I was near 

 winning the biggest stake of my life this year on 

 one of my own horses — Romping Girl, who ran 

 a dead heat with Achievement for second place 

 in the Oaks, Hippia, with Johnny Daley up, 

 beating us both for Baron Rothschild. The 

 Baron's filly was a good second favourite. They 

 laid odds on Achievement, and 50 to 1 against 

 Romping Girl. I was only beaten half a length. 

 That would have been a surprise if it had come 

 off! They only laid 2 to 1 against her for a 

 place ; it did not look like her beating Achieve- 

 ment. I told a lot of my friends that I thought 

 she would get a place, but I did not back her for 

 that situation. Of course it did not look like her 

 beating a grand filly like Achievement had 

 proved herself to be. In the Spring, Romping 

 Girl had given Caxton 21 lbs., and he just beat 

 her. Caxton went to Durham — there was a 



