264 CHASING AND RACING 



or fences, and incidentally stuck still tighter to an 

 opponent in a close finish. 



I have already described how Arthur Nightingall 

 nearly came to an untimely end when riding my 

 Chevy Chase in the " Grand prix des Haies/* at 

 Auteuil. 



A good yarn is told of George Fordham, which 

 may or may not have a foundation of truth ; but I 

 expect our helpful friend, " Ben Trovato,*' had some- 

 thing to do with its embellishment. As the story goes, 

 a " little " owner, whose methods were not always of 

 the " Caesar's wife '* class, once persuaded George to 

 accept the mount on a certain plater, whose job looked 

 such an easy one that substantial odds on were sure to 

 be asked for and laid. As in the case of the sporting 

 amateur rider, which I dealt v/ith earlier, the owner, 

 when giving his ** instructions '* to Fordham, winked 

 the eye of wickedness, saying in effect : 



** The horse is not very well to-day. Don't knock 

 him about; I am running him again to-morrow. He 

 will then be as fit as a fiddle, and you can win with him 

 just as far as you like, and back him till the cows come 

 home. You understand what I mean ? " 



** Oh yes, sir," said George, with a face like a plate. 

 ** I know what you mean ! " 



History has it that the great little jockey cantered 

 to the post, where he proceeded to dismount, gave the 

 horse a cut with his whip, and turned him loose with 

 this admonition : 



