REGALIA 



to be very careful at the bends. Just as the latter 

 was mountmg, he was asked by the well-kno^\^^ 

 Jack Coney whether it was good enough for a 

 " plunge." He replied that he did not see how the 

 mare was to be beaten, but that the bends were 

 awkward, and that an accident might easily happen. 

 However, Coney was not to be stalled off, but 

 said, " I've had a very bad day, and shall lay 300 

 to 100," which he did. The only other one backed 

 was a three-year-old colt by Vedette out of Vixen, 

 the property of Lord Westmoreland, who had 

 won the Surrey and INIiddlesex Stakes over the 

 same course on the preceding day. At New- 

 market, or on anything like a straightaway track, 

 it would have been a mere exercise gallop for the 

 mare to give him the 27 lb. she was asked to do, 

 but he was a handy little colt, and Sam Hibberd 

 spun him round each turn hugging the rails, whilst 

 Heartfield was steadying RegaUa, and letting her 

 take a wide sweep. Consequently she lost two or 

 three lengths at each of the numerous bends, and 

 when they were fairly in the run in — a very short 

 one — for home, the Vixen gelding held a lead of 

 four or five lengths. He was on the rails, and the 

 mare in the centre of the course with nothing near 

 her, and as this exactly suited her, and she was 

 happily in one of her most amiable moods, she just 

 got up in time to snatch the verdict by a head. 

 The excitement of such a finish was ahnost too much 

 for poor Coney, who was standing upon one of the 

 money boxes to watch it, and he danced about to 

 such an extent that he smashed in the top and fell 

 amongst the silver, just as the pair passed the post. 

 Regalia's next engagement was in the Goodwood 

 Cup, and Isaac Woolcot and various " d — d good- 

 natured friends," having dinned it into Mr. Graham 

 that Heartfield was not strong enough to do justice 



22 



