CHAPTER V 



RACING ON THE FLAT 



I HAVE been fortunate throughout all the period 

 during which I trained at Beckhampton to act 

 for owners who, without exception, were good 

 sportsmen of the best sort. I shall never enter- 

 tain any but the most pleasant recollections of 

 each one of them, and especially of Captain Greer. 

 Captain Greer, who started racing in a quiet 

 way, eventually became one of the most popular 

 Captain Stewards of the Jockey Club. He sent 

 ^^^^^ me Tragedy to train, but she would 

 not stand. He said he would like to go partners 

 with me in some mares, and about this time I gave 

 the late Lord Rodney £1,000 for a yearling called 

 Bird of Passage, by Kilwarlin. The first time 

 out she won at Kempton Park, afterwards at New- 

 market, and should have won the Woodcote at 

 Epsom, but she ran very wide at the turn. Several 

 men wanted to buy her at that time, and I eventu- 

 ally sold her to Captain Cookson for £4,000. I 



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