DANEBURY DAYS 



only defeat she sustained all that season. It 

 occurred in the Middle Park Plate, in which 

 only the smallest shade of odds was obtainable 

 about her, although there were sixteen runners 

 including Green Sleeve, Rosicrucian, Lady 

 Coventry, and Formosa. She gave more trouble 

 than usual at the post that day, and, when 

 the flag finally fell, was almost sitting on her 

 haunches. Her defeat has always been generally 

 ascribed to her having got away so badly, but 

 Enoch quite scouts the idea that the mere 

 fact of giving a few lengths' start would have 

 affected the result. His explanation of the 

 reverse is that Fordham, who, as I have 

 previously explained, was in poor health for 

 the greater part of that season, lost the race 

 by over-confidence in the extraordinary abilities 

 of his mount. "What on earth is George doing?" 

 was Enoch's exclamation when he saw the 

 favourite, less than a quarter of a mile from 

 home, with her head almost pulled round to 

 her jockey's knee, and " I ought to have won 

 many a length " was Fordham's self-reproachful 

 remark on his return to the Bird Cage. There 

 is no doubt that, knowing the marvellous 

 animal he was riding, he thought he had only 

 to ask her to win her race at any moment, 

 and that he took greater liberties with her 

 than he should have done. However, all memory 

 of this defeat was gloriously wiped out over 

 the very same course only two days later, 

 when the great match for 1000 sov. between 

 Lady Elizabeth and Julius was decided. The 

 Duke of Newcastle's colt had won the Cesare- 

 witch only three days previously, carrying 

 8 St., which was then a record weight for fa 

 three -year -old winner of that handicap, and, 



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