SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



I sent him to Tom Green at Beverley. He met me 

 in London, and took charge of the horse — who still 

 bore signs of his injury — at Victoria Station. This 

 would be in the beginning of the December of '73. 

 I explained to Tom Green all about the accident, and 

 said, "Now, be careful with him. He is on no 

 account to be hurried. I can give you till next 

 autumn." 



Later Green wrote, saying, " You had better enter 

 The Curate in the Lincolnshire Handicap. We need 

 not run him, but I should like to see how he is 

 treated." 



Then came another letter telling of the marvellous 

 change that had come over the horse, and stating 

 that if he was nicely handicapped at Lincoln he 

 would win. I wrote back to Green asking if softening 

 of the brain was setting in. However, to satisfy 

 him I entered the hqrse, and at his urgent solicita- 

 tion, accepted. Green was cocksure he trained the 

 winner of the race, and, thinking I might be wrong, 

 though I was nine- tenths sure I was not, I took 2000 

 to 100 for a win, and 500 to 100 for a place. 



" I shall not," I wrote to Green, " put a shilling 

 on for you. You must please yourself what 

 you do." 



" Come down," he returned, " and look at the 

 horse. You won't know him." 



235 



