30 bn ©sbonie 135 



seen jockeys so anxious that, after leaving the start- 

 ing-post with a Httle the best of it in a five-furlong 

 race, they completely ride their horses down, never 

 minding if they were on their right leg or not. On 

 several occasions during my career, when I have 

 got back to the stand, I have been told that John 

 Osborne, after apparently being out of the race at 

 first, had got up in the last few strides and won, not 

 having bustled his horse during the earlier part of 

 the contest, but holding him together, giving him 

 a chance to gallop and make the best use of his 

 action. This, after all, is what a horse has to 

 depend upon to propel him along. A great deal 

 has been said and written about John Osborne not 

 retiring sooner. Some said that he was too old, not 

 allowing for the bad luck he had during the last two 

 years, which might have happened to any younger 

 man. His accidents were not his fault. Osborne 

 could not help a country policeman putting his horse 

 broadside across the course at Hull, and no one 

 could foresee that a horse would break both his 

 fore-legs at Durham. His last spill at Liverpool 

 was as near as possible happening to " Morny " 

 Cannon instead of poor old John, so that I always 

 fail to see where his incompetency came in. I can 

 only say, with two or three exceptions, I should 



