* Dcspasian ' 93 



I said : " George, I think you ought to have won 

 that race with ' Vespasian.' " 



Fordham inquired the reason why I thought so, 

 and I told him that he "asked his horse too sud- 

 denly to come up and win." 



' Vespasian ' was a long-striding colt, and was not 

 like a little quick-actioned one. George never 

 minded me criticising his riding — in fact, he rather 

 liked it — and he answered at once : " Perhaps you 

 are right." 



I little thought at that time that I should be asked 

 to ride ' Vespasian ' the same week, but this is how 

 it happened. I had only ridden once at that meet- 

 ing, when I steered ' Hermit ' in the Stewards' Cup. 

 won by ' Fichu.' On the Friday morning I was 

 walking past the house at Singleton where Captain 

 Machell was staying, and, seeing me, he sent his 

 servant out to ask me to go and speak to him. The 

 Captain told me that Sir Charles Legard had lost a 

 lot of money that week, and was not satisfied with 

 * Vespasian's ' defeat on the first day, and that he 

 wished me to ride him in the Duke of Richmond's 

 Plate that afternoon, the first race on the card. I 

 said, " Certainly," went up to the course, rode him, 

 and the horse won by ten lengths. Of course we 

 were all very pleased, but I never thought of them 



