AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 383 



to the race he had left all his schoolmates lengths behind 

 him. Rumours were circulated in the London clubs a 

 few days before the contest that " a screw was loose " 

 with the colt, but so little attention was paid to them 

 that his market position was unimpaired. " The Friar " 

 was locked up in Gilbert's stable at Newmarket and 

 carefully guarded overnight; indeed, the first oppor- 

 tunity the public had of seeing the favourite was when 

 he went to the post. Then he hung his head in listless 

 fashion, and cantered so sluggishly that his warmest 

 admirers began to doubt. He jumped off with his 

 horses when the flag fell, but he declined to take hold 

 of his bit, and he appeared as dead as ditch water. The 

 secret of his deterioration soon oozed out. He had been 

 suffering greatly from his teeth, and he had what is 

 not uncommon to thoroughbreds abscesses in the 

 jaw. One of these abscesses burst soon after the start, 

 and his mouth being filled with blood and matter, the 

 poor brute was nigh choked for a time. Thus was 

 Ayrshire enabled to score an easy victory. " The Friar " 

 was scratched for the Derby, in which Ayrshire, ridden 

 by Fred Barrett, triumphed over Mr. Vyner's Crow- 

 berry, ridden by Osborne, by two lengths, in what was 

 probably one of the weakest fields ever seen for the 

 great Epsom struggle. 



Ashgill and Brecongill had no bright particular star 

 under their roofs in '88, yet the three-year-old Fallow 

 Chat and the two-year-old Redsand won several races 

 for Mr. Vyner, as also did Fabiola, on whom John 

 gained winning brackets at Thirsk, Newmarket, and 

 Chester. Other useful inmates were Derwentwater and 

 Nightcap, on whom he won the Great West Riding 

 Handicap at Pontefract. He was still riding winners 

 for his employer, Sir Robert Jardine, Stronvar and 



