AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 251 



would cease. Of course, the reason for this great 

 enthusiasm was obvious. The mare had been knocked 

 out, bandied about like a shuttle-cock, suspected of 

 being ' safe ' as George Frederick, reported to be struck 

 out, deserted by many of her friends — to all appearances 

 a beaten animal before the flag fell. And well she had 

 triumphed. Undoubtedly not up to the mark, and not 

 liking the hard ground, she had yet won the fastest 

 Leger on record in a common canter, and had left the 

 horse who beat her, when unfit, in the Great Yorkshire 

 standing still. No wonder, then, that all Yorkshire 

 cheered her, her jockey, and her venerable owner, who 

 was not present to see her run ; but above all, like good 

 sportsmen as they are, they cheered Apology." 



In his own way, John Osborne recited his recol- 

 lections of the incidents connected with the filly's 

 sensational victory, as follows : — • 



" Between the August and September for the 

 race, I thought she could be made a deal better 

 than her previous running had borne out, and, 

 indeed, had a high opinion of her winning 

 prospects. We had nobody about us that betted 

 much, yet for all that she was well backed. 

 Everything went all right with her during her 

 preparation. On the St. Leger morning she 

 walked as freely as any animal possibly could. 

 I got on her back to give her a breather in the 

 early morning on the Town Moor. To my utter 

 astonishment she trotted lame, and on examining 

 her we couldn't find where the lameness was. 

 The news of her apparent lameness spread hke 

 wildfire. All sorts of rumours got aJDOut, so I 

 heard, and I suppose the people said she wouldn't 

 run after having been found lame; but there 



