AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 493 



with grand pace, but he was very subject to rheumatism. 

 Job Marson was a wonderful rider ; he used to ride for 

 Lord Zetland, and rode Voltigeur in the St. Leger. 

 They wanted to take him off Voltigeur when he ran a 

 dead heat. That was the time the people broke the 

 cords at Doncaster and crowded on to the course. Job 

 rode him in the dead heat, and won. I think Isonomy 

 was a great horse. It was a great pferformance when 

 he won the Ebor Handicap, and ahnost a better one 

 when he won the Manchester Cup. On that day 

 70,000 paid at the turnstiles at Manchester. The 

 Flying Dutchman was a nailer, and so was West 

 Australian. I sometimes used to meet Mr. Bowes, the 

 owner of ' The West,' at York and Doncaster. He was 

 a grand man was Mr. Bowes. He went to live in 

 France, and didn't often come to meetings after that, 

 but before he was a regular attender at York and 

 Doncaster." 



" What do you think about the increased value of 

 stakes ? " 



" Why, you see, they can increase the value of the 

 stakes by getting admission money, and so they can 

 afford it. It is better for the trainers and for the horses. 

 The people keep up racing now, and the change is better 

 all round. Look how they have improved the stakes 

 at the modern gate meetings. At York we can't get a 

 gate meeting, because the control of Knavesmire is in 

 the hands of the freemen and the Corporation. I should 

 think Doncaster wiU be made into a gate-money meeting 

 before long. Racing officials are better paid now than 

 they were in my time. For instance, we will take York 

 and its two meetings over five days. They paid me £70, 

 and Mr. Ford gets £120 for the five days. 



" I have known personally almost every man of note 



