SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF^ 



the "little fish" had to be caught. In June at 



Epsom he was matched over half a mile for 100 sovs, 



with Mr. Hall's ("Spectacle Perry") Fravola, this 



being the last race of the summer meeting. My 



party at the time were very strong, and as I advised 



them to bet, they did in no half-hearted style. But 



Mr. Hall and his friends were equally keen, and 



sovereign for sovereign was found. In all, a huge 



sum was at issue, and I had to thank Fordham for 



the half-length victory. Shillelagh was conceding a 



year, and the performance stamped him a good horse, 



Fravola being particularly smart. At Ascot ShiUe- 



lagh won the Queen's Stand Plate, and at Worcester 



the Flying Stakes — thus making six races ofiP the 



reel. At the Worcester station, when next morning 



the journey for home began, the railway man called 



out, " Horses for the South come this way." " This 



way" meant past a lot of iron girders that were 



strewn on the ground, and just as Shillelagh was 



clearing them an engine screamed by, and, startled, 



the horse jumped back among the obstacles, and so 



severely cut his sinews that, mortification arising, he 



was dead inside three days. Holding the Company at 



fault, inasmuch as they should have had clear ground 



for valuable thoroughbred stock, I sued them for a 



thousand pounds, and the jury returned a verdict in 



my favour. I had given evidence that to me he was 



no 



