KING LUD 213 



Redcar, where we were both digging when the guns were 

 fired at Hartlepool on the signing of the Treaty of Paris 

 after the Crimean War. I shall have a good and interesting 

 story to tell about Sir Charles Dodsworth presently. His 

 early death was a serious blow to north-country training 

 interests as his estate included a considerable part of the 

 Hambleton Gallops, and his brother, who succeeded to 

 the title, is not friendly to racing at least, so I have 

 always understood. 



I have written that I went to Ascot that year, 1874, 

 but I find, on reference, that I was there on the last day 

 only, for I did not see Boiard win the Cup, wkh Doncaster 

 and Flageolet dead-heating behind him, and Kaiser next, 

 in front of Gang Forward and Marie Stuart ; but I did 

 see King Lud beat Boiard for the Alexandra Plate the 

 following day, and that was a race never to be forgotten. 

 The stamina shown by King Lud when the Frenchman 

 was palpably outpacing him all the way from the turn 

 into the straight is unparalleled in my experience except 

 by that of Torpoint, who wore down Radium in similar 

 fashion for the same race not many year 3 ago. But 

 Boiard was an exceptionally great horse, and it was only 

 by a head that King Lud just did him. Custance in his 

 book suggests that Boiard's jockey, Carratt, was to blame 

 rather than the horse, but I did not see the race in that 

 light at all, and in any case nothing can rob King Lud 

 of the fame of that victory, which was due to his undying 

 courage and stamina. It is much to be regretted that he 

 did not establish a male line of descent, for he was by 

 King Tom out of Qui Vive (sister to Vedette). 



Well, let me close this chapter and thus finish the 

 Oxford period, which can never be lacking in happy 

 memories, and yet rises up against me as having been 

 mainly conspicuous for wasted opportunities. It is 

 useless to moralise on the past, however, when the present 

 is still with us, and, even late in the day, may be perhaps 

 made good use of. 



