Gentlemen Riders 



clean away at the last turn near the Canal Bridge, left his 

 field as if they were standing still, and won literally in a trot — 

 nothing being in sight even as he pulled up opposite the 

 stands. 



Eight days later Salamander was brought out to oppose 

 Cortolvin, Ibex, Lightheart, Globule, and six others for the 

 Grand Annual at Warwick. Mr. Goodman, who again had 

 the mount, made every post a winning one, and won in a canter 

 by more than twenty lengths. 



Salamander's next — and last — race was for the West 

 Somerset Open Handicap Steeplechase at Crewkerne, on 

 April nth, which event, with his old jockey in the saddle, 

 he was winning with ease, when he came down a buster, 

 receiving such injuries that he had to be destroyed. 



Alec Goodman afterwards confirmed the report that before 

 Salamander ran at Liverpool, it was known to several people 

 how good a horse he was, in spite of his previous defeats, and 

 it was significant that at the starting-post C. Boyce said to 

 him, " Yoiill win, / knozv the way lies been ridden ! " And 

 Alec, who had not been on his back until now, had not gone 

 far before he found what a clipper was under him. The 

 serious expression on Alec Goodman's face on his return to 

 scale, the reverse of what might have been expected under 

 the circumstances, was the cause of much comment, the 

 inference being that he had not backed his mount to any 

 extent, if at all. This was not the case, for, as a matter of 

 fact, he had invested a " pony" at 40 to 1. The real cause of 

 his annoyance was that he had believed from Salamander's 

 poor appearance that he could not win, the horse having 

 been all night in a barn with a hole in the roof, and he had 

 not only countermanded a commission to back it for ^100, but 

 had discouraged his personal friends from doing likewise. 



138 



