374 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



favourite and went quietly down to the post. The flag 

 was dropped before he got his mount fairly turned 

 round, and losing several lengths he never was in the 

 race. On coming back to the paddock, one of the 

 crowd charged him with having pulled the mare. It 

 may be imagined that John was in no equable temper 

 with himself at having been left at the post on a 

 favourite, and, stinging under the unjust accusation of 

 the man, he dismounted in hot rage and administered 

 to him a sound thrashing with the whalebone. 



But getting back to our original line, let it be stated 

 that John Osborne rode in two memorable races in 1887 

 the Jubilee Cup and the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot. 

 In the former event he steered Mr. Vyner's great horse 

 Minting, beating St. Mirin, Aintree, Bendigo, and 

 Forio. But the struggle in the Hardwicke Stakes was 

 invested with an importance never equalled in the 

 stirring history of the race. Minting, four years, 9 st. 

 10 lb., with Osborne up, succumbed to the mighty 

 Ormonde, four years, 9 st. 10 lb., piloted by Tom 

 Cannon; the other runners being Bendigo, aged. 

 9 st. 12 lb., and Phil, three years, 7 st. 12 lb. The 

 betting was 5 to 4 on Ormonde, 7 to 4 against 

 Minting, 100 to 8 against Bendigo, and 100 

 to 7 against Phil. The excitement while the son 

 of Lord Lyon and the son of Bend Or were fighting 

 out the last fifty yards of the battle was painful 

 in its intensity, a relief only being felt when the 

 Duke's colours flashed past the post with the advantage 

 of a neck. All other features of the Ascot programme 

 sank into insignificance as compared with this truly 

 great race. John Porter did not conceal the fact that 

 Ormonde was better than ever over a mile, but enter- 

 tained a doubt as to whether the roaring infirmity would 



