SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



** He is," I used to say, " no good. Don't back him." 

 I could not tell them more. But, like many another 

 warner of danger, I was only laughed at. 



However, to return to 1849. If necessity is held 

 to be the mother of invention, I think she may also 

 claim to be the maternal relative of pushfulness for 

 the " ready." After Flying Dutchman had won, and 

 I had lost, it was a case of living and thinking hard ; 

 and I cannot recall a hit until Bon Mot, with John 

 Osborne (5 st.) up, won the Liverpool Summer 

 Cup. John was not then the important character he 

 afterwards became. But he had been reared in a good 

 school, and I knew he could ride. I had heard 

 before most that he would have the mount, and my 

 self-made "weekly guide" impressed me with the 

 chance of Osborne's mount, who had run respectably 

 in Ireland, whence he came. There were not then the 

 " guides " to form that now week by week are issued ; 

 and to overcome the inconvenience I used to paste 

 up the returns from Bell's Life in a common school 

 exercise book, which I also indexed. It served me 

 well, but it also brought a deal of bother, friends and 

 acquaintances being ever loaning it. I suppose 

 they thought they could not spare the time to " go 

 and do likewise." Well, I supported Bon Mot at 

 various prices with the listmen, and he won by a 

 length from the Essidarius, starting at 20 to 1. 



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