H IRooue 113 



I replied : "I think mine is sure to win." 



He answered : " I have told a friend of mine to 

 win me a bit on yours." 



It was a very close finish, and I don't think that 

 he ever rode a finer race in his life, as he just beat 

 me by a short head, nor do I think I ever saw 

 Fordham more pleased with himself, although he 

 had lost ^20 by winning. 



On going home after the last race that day, 

 I met the same two animals returning to the 

 course on the flat. ' Lady Peel ' had been 

 claimed — they were claiming races at that time — 

 and Colonel Higgins and Mr. Matthew Dawson, 

 with Norman and W. Bottom as jockeys, were 

 going down to try the two animals again over 

 the same course (the Rowley Mile) at the same 

 weights. Mr. Dawson asked me to be judge, and 

 I complied. When the runners came into the 

 Abingdon Mile Bottom you can imagine my 

 horror at seeing ' Trovatore ' three lengths in front, 

 and looking like walking in ; but half-way up the 

 hill he put his ears back, and cut across the course, 

 running nearly into the judge's box, where I was 

 standing. I gave the verdict three lengths, but as I 

 was an amateur judge it might not have been more 

 than two. The horse I rode, ' Trovatore,' was a 



8 



