190 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



selves under the command of Mr. M'George, and the immense body of equestrians 

 that accompanied them to the post having cantered away in the direction of the 

 finish, no time was lost in getting the starters in order. After one failure the 

 race commenced with a beautiful start, for a few strides not one of the competi- 

 tors having a head the best of it. The moment they had settled down, however, 

 Brambridge rushed to the front, followed by Conrad, the pair fulfilling their 

 respective missions by forcing the running, and after they had gone a hundred 

 yards Lord Westmorland's colt, in the centre, had a lead of two or three lengths 

 of Conrad, who was lying on the extreme right, but a similar distance in advance 

 of the general body of horses. The most prominent followers of the leaders were 

 Perry Down, Tenedos, and Tasman at the head of the right-hand division, Typhon 

 and Martyrdom in the centre, and Belladrum, Alpenstock, the Hermione colt, 

 Pretender, and Prince Imperial on the stand side, the last-named occupying the 

 extreme left-hand position at the girths of the northern horse. At the head of 

 the ruck came Duke of Beaufort and The Drummer in the track of Martyrdom, 

 and King Cophetua's colours were discernible on the whiphand, but in the rear 

 of Count Batthyany's colt, while soon after they had started Sir Joseph's cherry 

 jacket and black cap, worn by Wells, were seen toiling in rear in company with 

 Standard Bearer. At a rattling pace Brambridge and Conrad came sailing away 

 with a long lead, but after passing the T.Y.C. winning-post the pair began to 

 compound, and half-way up the Bushes Hill they both retired from the front. 

 Their disappearance left Perry Down with about a head advantage of Tenedos, 

 Tasman being dead settled at the brow of the hill, where Typhon, Alpenstock, 

 and the Hermione colt hung out signals of distress and gradually dropped away, 

 an example followed by Prince Imperial the moment the descent was commenced. 

 Perry Down and Tenedos were then lying slightly in advance of Belladrum, with 

 Martyrdom at his quarters, Pretender, on the left, now lying about a length and 

 a half in rear of the leaders. For a moment Cannon managed to get the Duke of 

 Beaufort from the ruck, but he soon disappeared again, and The Drummer as 

 rapidly beat a retreat after Chaloner's effort to get him within hail of Belladrum. 

 Mr. Merry's colt (who had been pulling hard at Kenyon) headed Perry Down 

 half-way down the Bushes Hill, Martyrdom still lying at his quarters, while 

 Pretender came steadily on by himself, still preserving his line wide on the left. 

 The moment they reached the Abingdon Mile Bottom, Osborne sent Pretender up 

 to Belladrum, and Martyrdom being settled the instant afterwards, the race was 

 virtually reduced to a match between Belladrum and Pretender. The moment 

 the northerner was fairly on terms with Belladrum he took a neck lead, but the 

 followers of the yellow jacket were frantic with excitement when their beloved 

 champion was seen to hold his own with the son of Adventurer. The hopes, 

 however, so suddenly raised were as rapidly dashed, as the first dozen strides up 

 the hill were disastrous to the son of Stockwell and Catherine Hayes, and Kenyon 

 was compelled to call resolutely on him. Amid tremendous cheering and excite- 

 ment the pair came on neck and neck, but Osborne was sitting as calm as a 

 statue, and to the initiated it was palpable that the victory would be gained by 

 the northern crack. When within fifty yards of the chair Kenyon made another 

 brilliant attempt to turn the tide of victory, but Pretender had sufficient in him 

 to answer immediately to his jockey's " rousing," and drawing away inch by inch 

 he won very cleverly indeed by half a length. Perry Down finished third, four 

 lengths in rear of Belladrum, and Fordham, who made determined efforts to 



