144 CHASING AND RACING 



two unfortunates (now completely spun out, but still 

 being urged to extremities, neck and neck, by their 

 riders) and went for them " hell for leather ! '* 



He simply devoured space, and came up, well you 

 can't say *' hand over fist '* when describing a horse's 

 gallop, but that describes it, and swooping down on 

 the luckless pair, just within the distance, he sailed 

 home an easy winner by two and a half lengths. 



Next morning this feat was alluded to by the sport- 

 ing press in big headlines as ** A sensational race." 

 " Weasel performs a miracle." ** Never say die 

 Cockie," etc. It seems that at one time during the 

 running as much as 20-1 was freely laid (and in some 

 hands taken) against Weasel's chance. 



The moral is that a race is never lost until another 

 horse has won it, and even then, a reasonably lodged 

 objection may haply result in a modified victory. 



After I had weighed in and changed I was inspect- 

 ing various " lepping " gees in the paddock, when 

 suddenly my hand was seized and wrung rather pain- 

 fully. It was my little friend of the bend, with the 

 sombre, but highly respectable get-up. 



" Gawd bless yen Guv'nor ! " he exclaimed 

 fervently. ** Streuth, I thought it impossible you 

 could ketch 'em. Suppose you was coddin' } But 

 yer put the fear of 'ell in me, gospel you did ! Thank 

 Gawd I 'ad a tidy win too, ^vt goldin' jerry o' goblins, 

 an' make no bloomin' error ! " 



Now this little figure of fun rather interested me. 



