i6o iRiMno iRecoUections anb Unvt Stories 



been wasting for other races, and we were about 

 three-quarters of an hour at the post. There were 

 thirty-seven runners, and ' Sterling,' who had be- 

 haved himself pretty well the first ten minutes, 

 became almost unmanageable afterwards. He 

 reared, kicked, and did everything he should not 

 have clone, as his temper was upset. At last the 

 flag fell to a straggling start, and before we had 

 gone two hundred yards I was in the first three, with 

 9 St. 7 lb. on. When we had gone a quarter of a 

 mile I was second, with my reins like soft soap. I 

 ought really to have been about nineteenth or twen- 

 tieth, with top weight on, but it could not be helped, 

 as I was perfectly helpless ; my hands were numbed, 

 and the sweat from the horse's neck made the 

 reins quite past holding — in fact, I was under every 

 possible disadvantage, although I finished third, I 

 begged Mr. Gretton to accept with ' Sterling ' for 

 the Liverpool Autumn Cup, but he was rather in- 

 clined to scratch him, as he hated to be forestalled. 



One evening, a day or two afterwards, I was 

 dining with Penning at Newmarket, when he said : 



" What will win the Liverpool Cup ?" 



I replied at once : " ' Sterling.' " 



"Come round to Mr. Gretton's place and tell him 

 so, then," urged Penning. 



