Gentlemen Riders 



following season, and though I never forgot her, it was not 

 until after she had run third for the Grand National that I 

 succeeded in buying the mare from Mr. E. C. Clayton, whose 

 property she had become in the interval. Two months after 

 I won the big Sandown Steeplechase on her, and after that 

 the Grand National, as I shall always firmly believe I was 

 fated to do. Zoedone and I had to come together, and we 

 had to win." 



That the mare would have won the Grand National again 

 in 1885, but for having been "got at" just before the start, 

 there is very little doubt. It will be recollected Bendigo won 

 the Lincolnshire Handicap that year, and the fact that Mr. 

 Barclay's famous horse had been coupled with Zoedone in a 

 great many double event bets, accounts, no doubt, for this 

 disgraceful transaction, the perpetrator of which was never 

 discovered. Her owner, who curiously enough was sharing 

 a hunting-box with Mr. Barclay at the time, had received 

 several anonymous warnings that there was danger ahead, and 

 with these in his mind, it was arranged that, for safety's sake, 

 the mare should be saddled in her box, and thence brought 

 on to the course, v/here her jockey would meet her and mount. 

 Unfortunately, the very thing happened they wanted to avoid. 

 Instead of the course being clear when Count Kinsky and 

 Captain " Roddy " Owen, who was riding another in the same 

 stable, went out to join their horses, there was such a crowd 

 that they actually could not find them at first. It was then, no 

 doubt, that the catastrophe happened. As her rider was about 

 to get up, he noticed on his white sleeve, up against which 

 Zoedone had just rubbed her muzzle, a spot of blood, and on 

 examination, sure enough, a small puncture was discernible 

 on her nostril, which, no doubt, accounted for its appearance. 

 Count Kinsky at once thought of the anonymous letters, and 



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