Gentlemen Riders 



It will no doubt come as a surprise to a good many people, 

 especially those whose theory it is that to breed from a roarer is 

 little short of criminal, to hear that Vae Victis, whose name 

 will be handed down to posterity as the dam of Manifesto — 

 probably the best, and certainly the best-looking, horse that 

 ever made one of a Grand National field — Lord St. Vincent's 

 lease of whom was taken on by Mr. Bevill, on that nobleman's 

 retirement from the turf, turned out such a bad roarer that her 

 new lessee returned the mare to her breeder in Ireland, who, 

 nothing daunted, mated her with Man o* War, with the 

 satisfactory result just recorded. 



In the Derby of 1862, Mr. Bevill had the mount on 

 Alvediston, by Tadmor, and was fourth in 1869 on Lord 

 Royston's Alpenstock, who had just previously won the City 

 and Suburban — the only amateur horseman, except Mr. George 

 Thursby, who has ever ridden in the race, so far as we are 

 aware. 



Amongst Mr. Bevill's many amusing experiences the 

 following will bear repeating. He was riding Gadfly, a 

 wretchedly bad one belonging to Tom Golby, in a two-mile 

 race on the flat at Croydon in 1871, odds of 4 to i being laid 

 on his mount ; and on his way to the post was joined by a 

 well-known steeplechase jockey riding in the race, who in- 

 formed him that he had backed Gadfly to win him fifty pounds, 

 and that he must win or he himself would be in Queer Street. 

 Off they went, and about halfway his friend, who was just 

 behind, shouted out, " How are you going, Mr. Bevill ?" 



" D d bad," replied that gentleman, and with reason, as 



not only was Gadfly rapidly compounding, but another horse, 

 ridden by an amateur unknown to fame, was coming up rapidly 

 hand over hand, with apparently the race at his mercy. 



Such a contingency, of course, could not be thought of 



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