282 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



Spence up) and Mr. J. Williamson's Patch, ridden by 

 Mr. W. H. Shaw. They dead-heated the first time, and 

 in the decider, over two miles, welter weights, Durham 

 won by a short head. The meeting did not pass off 

 without affording one more close finish between Piatt 

 on Miss Palmer and John on Mandamus, the former 

 winning by a head, with Mr. Wm. Sanderson, the 

 trainer, who occasionally was in the saddle in those 

 days, beaten into third place by a short neck on his 

 own horse Concord. In the very next race Osborne 

 rode a dead heat on Mr. T. Colpitt's Boyd, with Heslop 

 on Mr. W. H. Shaw's Rustic Maid, the latter winning 

 the decider by a length. 



Improving as the season progressed, Mr. W. 

 Stevenson's Novice, carrying 6 st. 6 lbs., won the Ebor 

 Handicap. By no means a beauty to look at, the 

 daughter of Macaroni and Tyro had powerful quarters, 

 and that she could stay a distance of ground she now 

 proved by following in the footsteps of Lily Agnes for 

 this old-fashioned race on the Knavesmire, " Lily " 

 having beaten a much better class field five years 

 previously, amongst her pursuers home being Apology. 

 Novice's appearance in the St. Leger the following 

 month found her out-classed in the great event won by 

 Robert the Devil, who had a thorough revenge on Bend 

 Or, his Epsom conqueror. That the careless riding of 

 Rossi ter on Robert the Devil at Epsom enabled Archer 

 on Bend Or to steal the race is now an undisputed fact, 

 though it is worthy of note that when they met in single 

 combat the following Epsom, Bend Or proved himseff 

 the better horse over the gradients of that flukey course. 

 The year of '80, though not a first-class one for the 

 Osbornes, was far from unremunerative, the brackets 



