THE YORKSHIRE MEETINGS 139 



party. The gentleman in question was not exactly a racing 

 man, and had come little into contact with the professionals 

 of the sport. He was, however, much impressed with the 

 fact that he was actually facing a real live jockey, more 

 especially one he had heard about all his life, but had 

 never met before. All through the meal he could scarcely 

 keep his eye off the man who had won the St. Leger on 

 Lord Clifden and Apology, and when there was a pause 

 in the conversation he broke in, in the broad East Riding 

 tongue, with, " Noo then, Mr. Osborne, for the amusement 

 of this company, will ye oblige them by telling what was 

 t' biggest ramp ye were ever in ? " A shout of laughter 

 greeted the outburst, but John Osborne was equal to the 

 occasion, and when there was silence struck in with, " Well, 

 gentlemen, I believe I once carried 5 lbs. too much at 

 Newton, and won, but I said nothing about it afterwards." 

 Thursday's card has for its chief attractions the Great 

 Yorkshire Stakes and the Gimcrack Stakes, the former 

 a three-year-old race over a mile and three-quarters of 

 ground, and the latter a substantial two-year- old prize, 

 which is invested with a considerable amount of eclat. The 

 Great Yorkshire Stakes affords a capital St. Leger trial, 

 but nowadays it is the fashion to bottle up St. Leger 

 favourites from Ascot to Doncaster ; thus the York race 

 generally attracts some three or four of what may be termed 

 the second rank of three-year-olds. Two decades ago 

 owners were not afraid of running their St. Leger horses 

 at York, and it occasionally happened that a favourite for 

 the Doncaster race had his wings singed on the Knavesmire 

 a fortnight before. As previously recorded, Blair Athol was 

 beaten by The Miner in this race, only to turn the tables 

 most decisively at Doncaster, while ten years later Trent 

 beat Apology, somewhat unexpectedly ; but at Doncaster 

 Parson King's mare easily reversed the form, Trent also 

 losing second place to Leolinus. The defeat of Blair Athol 

 was never properly explained, and while some thought 

 that his jockey was caught napping, others were of opinion 

 that he went down because he was short of a few winding-up 

 gallops. John Osborne, who rode The Miner, to this day 



