134 THE TURF 



never been protested against, when a horse, out by 

 himself, has been an easy winner, but has come up on 

 one side of the course under the box of a judge whose 

 attention has been fixed upon two or three others on 

 the opposite side fighting out what he has mistaken for 

 the finish. On one occasion there was nearly being 

 no verdict at all. The late Judge Clark, a wholly 

 admirable occupant of the position — though he took 

 no sort of interest in horses or any other animals, and 

 occupied his leisure hours in the study of ecclesiastical 

 architecture — went fast asleep one hot summer's after- 

 noon at Goodwood when the horses were at the post 

 for the Stewards' Gup. He gazed over the shimmer- 

 ing landscape before him till he dozed away, to be 

 suddenly aroused by a happily observant policeman, 

 who shook him up to consciousness just when the 

 field had reached the distance, so that he had time to 

 fulfil his duties. Only men who have hoped, feared, 

 and anticipated much from the result of a race can 

 realise what those most deeply interested in the winner 

 would have felt had it been declared that the race was 

 void and must be run again, as would probably have 

 been inevitable. When there are objections to winners 

 on the ground of crossing, josding, bumping, or any- 

 thing that has occurred in the course of the race, the 

 evidence of the judge is sought, and always carries 

 great weight with the stewards. Very often after a 

 close race only the judge can say for certain which 

 has won, and the spectators wait with the utmost 



