3T8 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



Gloriation's victory in the Cambridgeshire was 

 a surprise to the majority of people, many con- 

 sidering him a lucky horse to win, being under the 

 impression that had John Osborne come sooner on 

 Bendigo the latter would have beaten him. An extra- 



D 



ordinary distance of ground was made up by Bendigo 

 in the last half furlong, and Judge Clark said that in 

 another twenty yards, instead of being beaten half a 

 length, Bendigo would have won by that distance. As 

 is often the case when a jockey rides into the provoking 

 place of second, unkind things were said about the way 

 in which John Osborne rode Bendigo on the occasion, 

 some even going so far as to hint that he was. not too 

 anxious to win when he saw Glover in front on a horse 

 trained by himself. But, as was clearly proved, at 

 that time Osborne got as much out of Bendigo that day 

 as ever had been got out of him by any jockey before. 

 Bendigo had now taken part in four Cambridgeshires, 

 one of which he won ; in the other three he was second. 

 In the opinion of Jousiffe, who trained him, he ought 

 to have won the lot. It was the bad start he got that 

 enabled Florence to beat him by a head ; and when he 

 succumbed to Plaisanterie, he was badly disappointed 

 when attempting to get an opening to win the race. 

 Horses carrying heavy weights, such as Bendigo did, 

 are always at a disadvantage in a race like the Cam- 

 bridgeshire. The jockey is bound to wait, and thus has 

 to run the gauntlet of being shut in. Such was his luck 

 against Gloriation, as it had been with Plaisanterie. 

 Beaten though he was, Bendigo established a record, 

 his performance surpassing the performance of Sterling 

 m the same race, a fact which set at naught the 

 grumblings and suspicions in regard to Osborne's riding. 



