* sterling ' at Xiperpool i6i 



Mr. Gretton accepted with him ; but soon after 

 ' Sterhng ' had an accident ; he hit his leg, and was 

 stopped in his work for nearly a week, so was 

 knocked out in the betting, and looked like being 

 scratched. However, he got better, and I went 

 over to Aintree from Waterloo, where I was 

 staying with Penning, to ride ' Sterling ' a gallop 

 on the Wednesday morning, the Cup being run on 

 Friday. I was driven over by the landlord of the 

 hotel at Waterloo, named Hineson, who had a 

 hotel at Liverpool as well. Arrived at Aintree, 

 I rode 'Sterling' a half-speed gallop over the Cup 

 course. The horse was very fresh, but pulled up 

 all right and sound. When I got back to breakfast, 

 Penning said to me : 



" Well, how did he go ?" And I told him : 

 " Pirst-rate." 



" By jabers," he said, "he will ate half the brutes 

 at the post, and win in a canter " — a real Irishman's 

 saying. 



' Sterling ' did not, however, eat any of his com- 

 petitors at the post, and he certainly did not win 

 in a canter — but I will try to describe the race. 



There were fifteen runners ; the handicap was 

 rather a flattering one : ' Lilian,' for instance, who had 

 won several Queen's Plates, had only 8 st. 3 lb. on, 



1 1 



