16 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



one of the most knowledgeable men I know. He 

 trained Dainty, second for Grand National, Des- 



The starter's PAIR, DeWDROP, and DeBONNAIRE tO win 



aTin^on ^^^Y races, all of which they bred at 

 Dewdrop Woolashill. He is the Amateur Champion 

 begonia grower, a good landscape gardener, County- 

 Councillor, and J.P., well up in county and parish 

 matters, just and kind to his fellow-men, and 

 deservedly very popular with all classes. 



It was a beastly wet day, rain and snow, snow- 

 flakes as big as halfpennies. The starter, who was 

 obviously " cheery," went to what he thought was 

 the post, but which was nothing of the kind, as I 

 knew, seeing I had walked the course before racing 

 commenced. He was 200 yards this side of the 

 post, which would have led to disqualifications had 

 we started there. I said to the jockeys who were 

 riding : 



" What's the use of starting here ? You'll only 

 be riding two and a half miles for nothing." 

 " Oh," they said, " it's a rotten day ; let's go." 

 I said, " You see what the starter's like ; I'm not 

 going to start here," and promptly went to the other 

 post, and was certainly 200 yards behind the other 

 horses when he dropped the flag and they started. 

 When they got to the first fence, the water jump, 

 it was frightfully heavy going, and the horses were 

 cannoning one another like ninepins ; this enabled 



