CHASING AND RACING 163 



a leg over a Grand National hero — none other than 

 Voluptuary, who, later on, had his activities directed 

 to dramatic demonstrations ; enacting the role of 

 equine hero in a Drury Lane melodrama in which he 

 was the mount of that genial artist and sportsman, 

 Leonard Boyne, who passed away in 1920. On a 

 previous occasion I had been on the back, for a brief 

 moment, of a Derby winner, Hermit to wit, and had 

 been promptly dislodged ; but " the double " is some- 

 thing to buck about, don't you think ? 



Of course Ted was installed as resident manager, 

 being supported by his wife and daughter, Phyllis 

 (my god-daughter), with Davis, to whom I have 

 already alluded, as head lad. Previous to this venture, 

 W. H. Manser, of Cadland House, Newmarket, and 

 afterwards Martin Gurry, of Abingdon House, had 

 had some of my gees in charge. Manser was a 

 " character." He was an unfailing source of amusement 

 to me, and to listen to his tales of adventure in Russia, 

 where he was trainer to the imperial house of Romanoff, 

 was to experience thrills of wonder and amazement. 

 There were not wanting sarcastic oafs who were wont 

 to say that his name should not have been ** W. H. 

 Manser," but rather R. O. Mancer. However that 

 may be, he was a most generous and warm-hearted man, 

 and a father devoted to his three boys, George (Woggy), 

 Jack, and Charlie, and his dinky little daughter, 

 Queenie ; all of whom were perfect artistes in the 

 saddle. I often rode exercise with them, and formed 



