SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



Oeorge, I'm rather afraid you're out of the running." 

 I told Mr. Swindell how matters stood, with the 

 consequence that neither of us went near the sale. 

 King Lud, I think, fetched 1500 or 1600 gs., and 

 we were prepared to give 2000. But his lordship, 

 I expect, would not have been beaten. 



King Lud passed under Captain Machell's manage- 

 ment, and was not stripped until the York August 

 Meeting (1873), when he took part in the Great 

 Ebor Handicap. He was a deal on the big side, but 

 ran remarkably well for a mile and a half, and, had 

 he been fit, would have easily won. I met his 

 lordship later, and said, " That's a very nice horse 

 of yours that ran to-day, my lord." 



"Yes, Hodgman, I like him very much. He's 

 not fit yet. I didn't back him.." 



His lordship, I may add, rarely exceeded ten 

 pounds in a bet. 



" Now," I said, " my lord " (for I had been looking 

 over the Admiral's handicap), " if you don't run this 

 horse till the Cesarewitch, and he keeps all right, 

 you cannot lose." 



" Well, if you think so, Hodgman, he shan't run 

 till the Cesarewitch. I'll see to that." 



" Then I may back him ? " 



"With confidence." Unquestionably the late 

 Lord Lonsdale was one of the kindest of Nature's 



245 



