CHASING AND RACING 19 



periodically took place. My imagination was fired, 

 and I made up my mind to butt in. At TattersalFs 

 I picked up a likely looking brown pony called Phyllis, 

 about fourteen hands. After giving her a few surrepti- 

 tious gallops in the early hours, on the Rotten Row tan, 

 where a friendly minion of the law had discreetly 

 looked the other way, I entered her for a members' 

 race at Hurlingham and ordered my colours — cream, 

 dark blue and gold hooped sleeves, quartered cap. 

 The great day arrived, and as I weighed out I had a 

 sharp experience of that distressing sensation, " the 

 needle.'* There were seven runners on the cramped 

 course, and in my anxiety to be well away I 

 slightly broke the line. " Go back a bit. Cox '* — 

 this from the starter. Of course he meant '''pull 

 hack " ; but in my " greenness " I turned my mount 

 " about," and as the flag fell I was left some two 

 lengths and there remained ; but Phyllis and I nego- 

 tiated the sharp turns quite comfortably and I kept 

 my seat all right. On a subsequent occasion I was 

 off the mark promptly and was well placed to win if 

 my mount had been good enough ; but she was not 1 

 Although I won some nice races with her at local 

 meetings later on, her form was not up to the Hur- 

 lingham standard. Something a deal smarter had to 

 be found. It was at this juncture that I came in 

 contact with Jesse Winfield. I believe he was looked 

 upon as very hot stuff" indeed ; but all I can say is 

 that he played the game in a perfectly straightforward 



