AKD PATRICK 85 



Mr. Heard — with Ard Patrick to Sandown, 

 together with something to lead him. He worked 

 him on the course. I told him to let him go the 

 full course the day before, as I was particularly 

 anxious he should get accustomed to the turn, as 

 I felt pretty confident that he might, like many 

 other horses, have some fear of galloping into 

 those boards at the turn. The course was fright- 

 fully hard, and as it was somewhat sHppery round 

 the turn, I had him turned up rather sharp on 

 the outside heels, and shod him with new larger- 

 headed nails, which gave him a good grip, and it 

 The Eclipse is history that he came round the turn 



triumph ^-^j^ ^jj advantage, beating Sceptre by 

 a neck. Perhaps there was never a more exciting 

 race run on an English race-course, even including 

 Ormonde's great race (Minting and Bendigo at 

 Ascot). You could have heard a pin drop during 

 the last part of the race, and everybody seemed 

 to be holding their breath. I quite expected to 

 beat Sceptre. 



On my arrival the night before the race at 

 Sandown, Ard Patrick was at exercise in the 

 charge of Mr. Pleard. Sir James Miller, with 

 Blackwell and Rock Sand, was also there. When 

 I met Sir James Miller, he said : 



" Oh, you're going to run, then, Sam ? " 



I smiled and said : 



