200 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



covered in quicker time in any race whatever, whilst 

 the horsemanship of Osborne and Wells was a treat to 

 witness. It is our opinion that but for a disappointment 

 in the race, the second horse would have won. Many 

 persons (including the trainer of Pero Gomez) assert 

 that he did actually win by a neck, but in this they 

 are evidently mistaken." 



" Of the race itself," said " Outsider " in the Sporting 

 Times, 29th May, 1869, " of course, it will be asserted 

 by many, and chiefly by those who either went for him 

 or were on him, that Pero Gomez ought to have won, 

 and would have won but for the scrimmage at 

 Tattenham Corner. I don't believe it for a moment. 

 Firstly, because I am assured by one who narrowly 

 watched it, the scrimmage did not affect the horse's 

 chance in the least; and, secondly, as I stood by both 

 horses in the weighing-in paddock after the race, it 

 was evident which had the more taken out of him and 

 which was the more punished. It seemed to me that 

 Osborne might have got a deal more out of his horse, 

 which was never headed, and won by a good head, but 

 that Pero Gomez had the last ounce exhausted from 

 him by Wells. As to the time the race was run 

 2 mins. 52J- sees. considering the horses started lower 

 down than usual, and about 300 yards further than in 

 Kettledrum's year, it was very good, for since the race 

 has been timed in 1846 only thirteen have done it 

 quicker, and on two of those occasions by only half a 

 second. The Flying Dutchman, West Australian, 

 Thormanby, and Wild Dayrell all took two seconds 

 longer ; and, as I said before, I do not believe a start was 

 ever made so far back before." 



Sir Joseph Hawley lost popularity by his action on 

 settling day after Pretender's Derby. The facts of the 



