170 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



I then asked Mr. Keene to run him in the New 

 Biennial Stakes (five furlongs) at Ascot, which he 

 won easily. As he did not arrive at Ascot from 

 Paris until twelve o'clock at night, I ordered him 

 stout, and repeated the dose next morning. His 

 success was due to this treatment, as otherwise I 

 believe he would not have shown this form after 

 undergoing such a severe journey. 



Birkenhead was a partnership horse with 



Captain Greer. Morny Cannon won a beautifully 



, . ridden race, the Stewards' Handicap of 



Jockeyship ^ 



and £1000, on him at Kempton. He ran in 

 the Prince of Wales's Stakes at New- 

 market, ridden by Sloan. Sloan came down to 

 ride him a gallop, and, good jockey as he was, 

 the horse ran all over the trial ground with him. 

 He afterwards rode him in the Princess of Wales's 

 Stakes, but he also ran out with him in the race, 

 where he certainly looked like being second to 

 Flying Fox, ridden by Morny Cannon. Birken- 

 head was a very big and heavy horse, and no 

 jockey could have got him out riding American 

 style. 



Happy Bird was my own property, and my son, 

 The Fred Darling, rode him in the two-year- 



unhappy ^|^ stakes at Newmarket. He won his 



case 01 



Happy Bird race very easily, but on returning to 

 the paddock Fred dismounted before reaching the 



1 



