ACROBAT AND OTHER WINNERS 17 



me to get within reasonable distance of them. 

 After jumping two more fences we came to the turn 

 into the straight, prior to going into the country 

 again, and there the horse who was the hot favourite, 

 named Elliot, went the wrong side of the hurdle. 

 I shouted for all I was worth, " You've gone 

 wrong," but he did not pull up, and I followed on, 

 still lying well last. Two or three of the field fell 

 when they got into the country again, and I 

 gradually drew up to Charles Archer, who was riding 

 Saracen, and Davis on Elliot, still in front, going 

 well. There was some firm going close under the 

 rails, which enabled me to get a little advantage. 

 I then passed Archer and got up side of Elliot, 

 who was absolutely full of running. I was quite 

 content being second, knowing I should get the 

 race by objection, as I thought ; but in another 

 moment the whole thing presented itself dilierently 

 to me. The rider of Elliot was mistaking the 

 winning-post for a box marked " Pay Here,"' very 

 similar to the winning-post. I never attempted to 

 move, for fear he should go one better, but I saw 

 he was looking at that box, and I still swayed 

 between the box and the winning-post ; and then, 

 just in the last four strides, I gave my mare bang, 

 bang, with the whip, and she just won a neck on 

 the post. There was some hooting, but Elliot's 

 jockey had absolutely made a mistake in the two 

 2 



