THE NOBLE ART OF BACKING WINNERS 17I 



of him. He won several local chases on 

 his own horse the season before he died. 

 Heigho ! I'm wandering off to hunting 

 tales again, I see, so must pull up ; and 

 that reminds me that I have stuck words 

 on the front page of this *' blessed book" 

 as to the way to find winners. Perhaps 

 if I gave the most conscientious and at 

 the same time concise advice possible, it 

 would be a repetition of the words of 

 poor Jimmy Snowden before mentioned. 

 He and Drislane and old Tom Green, 

 the trainers, and two or three more of 

 us, were breakfasting off one of those 

 good solid hot breakfasts for which 

 Yorkshire is famous at the comfortable 

 hostelry at Thirsk, on the second day of 

 the meeting, and a cadaverous-looking 

 man came to the coffee-room and wanted 

 to speak to Mr. Snowden. Jimmy went 

 no more than halfway out of the door, 



