' Hcbievemcnt ' falls in tbe ©afts s^ 



Still she won by three lengths, but she had nothing 

 to beat, a very moderate mare named ' Soeur de 

 Charite ' being second. I recollect the late Joseph 

 Dawson saying to me on the morning of the Oaks : 



" Do you think you are sure to win to-day on 

 ' Achievement '?" 



" Yes ; what is to beat her ?" I replied. 



He answered : " Well, all I know is that ' The 

 Rake ' gave the filly who was second to you in the 

 One Thousand 2 st. 7 lb., and beat her in a trial 

 the week after that race." 



' Achievement ' was not tried early in her three- 

 year career, and the Ilsley stable only took it for 

 granted that she was well. As it turned out, they 

 were wrong ; * Hippia ' won, and the two-year-old 

 flyer of the year before only ran a dead heat for 

 second place with ' Romping Girl.' 



' Achievement's ' defeat finished up a very un- 

 lucky week for me, as I ought to have ridden 

 ' Hermit ' in the Derby ; but that matter is ex- 

 plained elsewhere. However, I missed riding 

 ' Hermit ' in the Derby, and was beaten on one 

 of the greatest favourites that ever ran for the 

 Oaks. Naturally, every manner of fault was found 

 with me, Mr. Sutton going so far as to say I 

 pulled the mare. I did not hear of this until a long 



