AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 453 



they had altered the weights for two-year-old races 

 from 8 St. 7 lbs. and 8 st. 4 lbs. to 8 st. 10 lbs. and 

 8 St. 7 lbs. Quoting " Cus's " own words—" I happened 

 to look at BelVs Life, almost the only sporting paper 

 in those days, and saw the weight published at 8 st. 

 7 lbs. I went to scale, and presently Mr. T. Wadlow, 

 the Stanton trainer came and said: — 

 " I should like to see you weighed. 

 " I rephed, ' All right,' went to the scales and said, 

 * 8 St. 7 lbs., please.' Mr. Wadlow looked at his card 

 and said, ' What do you mean? '—I had not looked at 

 a card—' it is 8 st. 4 lbs., you would have made a nice 

 mess if I hadn't come to see you weighed.' ' I'm awfully' 

 sorry, but certainly thought I had weighed the right 

 weight,' was my reply. 



" There were three runners, and I won \qvj easily on 

 Lady Strafford. Stella was second, and John Osborne 

 was beaten off. When we came to the scales, I weighed 

 in 8 St. 4 lbs, so did the second. John Osborne (who I 

 am certain knew nothing about it before) said, I 

 object to the first two horses for being short of weight. 

 They were both disquahfied, and Osborne got first and 

 second money, about £250, with an animal not worth 

 £25, in fact I think it was sold for less the day after, 

 when it was beaten easily in a Selling Plate. Ever 

 since that it has been a standing joke against Tom 

 Wadlow to ask him to let you see his calendar, as 

 he has never been known to be without one. The 

 mistake was made owing to the weights on the card 

 being considered correct, but as my readers know, they 

 were not the official weights." 



Further paying tribute to Osborne, Custance also 

 tells the story about the Dissenter and Lodore double 

 dead heat at Carhsle in 1892. Custance had long 



