JAMES MERRY 



spite of his unpleasant memories of Goodwood in 

 1869, it was at that meeting twelve months later 

 that he apparently began to turn over a new leaf, 

 and to throw some heart into his work. First, in 

 receipt of only 3 lb. for the year, he beat The 

 Orphan by five lengths in the Craven Stakes, and, 

 on the following day, he ran clean away w4th the 

 A^isitors' Plate over a mile and a half course, 

 having much the worst of the weights with all his 

 four opponents, winding up a capital week with a 

 walk -over. It is noteworthy that Butters rode 

 him in each of these races, as Harroway had done 

 on the only occasion that he won as a two-year-, 

 old, and he was just the sort of curious-tempered 

 colt that was certain to do best in the hands of a 

 lad that he was accustomed to carry at exercise. 



After this he progressed exceedingly well, and 

 was sent to York to run in the Great Yorkshire 

 Stakes. Mr. Merry's horses at that meeting were 

 put up in two stalls and a box, and the half door of 

 the building opened inwards. James Waugh had 

 noticed this, and had specially warned the lads to 

 be very careful that this was securely fastened back 

 before attempting to take any of the horses out. 

 He had not long been out of bed on the Sunday 

 morning when there was a terrible disturbance 

 in the yard, and he ran down, half-dressed, with 

 an intuitive perception of what had happened. 

 Sure enough, his instructions had been disregarded. 

 Sunlight had caught and closed the half door, and 

 then, attempting to jump it, had become firmly 

 wedged in, with the door under him, his forelegs 

 in the yard, and his hind ones in the stable. The 

 men's efforts to get the door down with hatchets 

 had only resulted in producing a number of ugly- 

 looking splinters, and poor Sunlight, in his efforts 

 to release himself, had scored himself all over, and 



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