SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



would not have got back except for my intercession 

 with Admiral Eous. As I pointed out to the 

 Admiral, the boy had done nothing grievously 

 wrong, and endless suspension for cheekiness was an 

 excessive penalty. " If you let him come back," I 

 said, " I'll put him up." 



" Well, well ! I hope he has learnt his lesson. 

 Tell him he can weigh to-morrow." 



Reeves professed the utmost gi'atitude, and, as I 

 said, I gave him the mount on Shillelagh. " I don't 

 want you," I said, " to knock this horse about. He's 

 not quite fit." Reeves's idea of not knocking a horse 

 about was to spur him at the post, and spur him 

 all the way, and he had the satisfaction of finishing 

 second to Biondella, with twenty-two behind. I 

 have often wondered what Reeves would have done 

 had I told him to ride out to the last ounce. I 

 thought that I had brought an honest boy back to 

 the Turf, but certainly not a clever one. However, 

 I suppose it was over-anxiety that caused him to 

 lose his head, and I am glad to be able to state that 

 on settling down in Austria as a trainer he com- 

 manded alike respect and a competency. 



Shillelagh's next race was in the Inkerman Plate 

 at Epsom, which he won. He also took the Free 

 Handicap at Newmarket, of 25 sovs. each, and an 

 hour later a £50 plate. The horse was exposed and 



109 



