HANDICAPS 117 



rain to do so is an altogether exceptional occurrence. 

 The horses had gone to the post when the Stewards 

 decided that the race could not possibly be run, and 

 Mr. Arthur Coventry, the present starter, offered to go 

 down on his hack to convey this intimation. The 

 crowd, meantime, knowing nothing of this, waited for 

 the field to come in sight, the delay being made excit- 

 ing by the circumstance that several flies and carriages 

 were blown over, their wheels revolving at a tremend- 

 ous pace in the hurricane that was blowing. After a 

 time the first of the horses that had been taken to the 

 post returned a long way ahead of everything else, the 

 jockey's colours indistinguishable in consequence of 

 the saturation they had received. It appeared that 

 something had won very easily indeed, but no one 

 could say what, and when the others appeared at wide 

 intervals an idea prevailed that this was the most ex- 

 traordinary race ever seen ; but presently it became 

 known that it had not been a race at all. Hackness 

 won the next day, when there were no fewer than 

 thirteen races. Bendigo's success in 1883 was alto- 

 gether unexpected. The horse's throat had been 

 dressed and he was really not fit to run, but 6 st. 10 lbs. 

 was a burden under which he could not be beaten, 

 though he gave his opponents every chance, as to- 

 wards the finish he swerved right across the course, 

 from one side to the other ; it was only by a head 

 that he succumbed to Florence (four years, 9 st. i lb.) 

 next year. 



