SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



I caught Mr. Broeck at the paddock entrance, 

 and said, " Will you put Fordham up ? " 



•* Can I get him ? " 



" Yes. He told me he should have liked to have 

 ridden for you this morning." 



" Get him, then." 



I soon found Fordham, and engaged him, with 

 the satisfactory result that Prioress won comfort- 

 ably by a length and a half from El Hakim, who 

 finished a head in front of Queen Bess. 



I always had a high — indeed, the highest — 

 opinion of Fordham, whose superior, taking him all 

 in all, has not appeared in my time. He would, 

 when able, always ride for me ; and, in turn, I was 

 ever glad to hand him my colours. Only once, in 

 a friendship extending over a great number of 

 years, do I remember being thoroughly " at elbows " 

 with him. This was over a mare called Heiress 

 that I had in 1860, which I had bought of Mr. 

 Carew of Epsom. She had run moderately in the 

 Great Metropolitan, and yet I thought she ought to 

 win a good race. In June I took her to the Bibury 

 Club Meeting, for the Stakes. She was not in high 

 racing trim, and I told Fordham not to knock her 

 about. But Captain Little, on The Greek — he was 

 as good as most professionals — " kidded " so nicely 

 that Fordham fell into the trap, and thinking The 



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