60 FLAT-RACING EXPLAINED, 



That a horse should have possessed such sterling 

 qualities, having been left behind the entire field of 

 runners, to have been able to rejoin his horses, 

 and win with 9 st. 4 lb. on his back notwithstand- 

 ing, has been the theme of many a pen, brimming 

 over with enthusiasm, from that day to this. 



But they have always forgotten to tell us that, 

 had it not been for this stopping to kiclv, or what- 

 ever the horse did, no Peter would have won that 

 day. As a matter of fact, he stopped to put his 

 head down, and the "kicking" really existed only 

 in the imagination of the writers. It can never be 

 known what actually caused the horse to stop, but 

 it is quite certain he was dead settled as far as 

 racing was concerned when he did so. There can 

 be no doubt of this, however, tliat he put his head 

 down to take in air, and, being a horse that carried 

 his head high, was not able to get beyond five fur- 

 longs on the Ascot gradients. He won, as horses 

 are able to do when the wind is in them, but are 

 helpless when their lungs are empty. 



But perhaps one of the most remarkable wins to 

 be seen from a big field of horses of late years 

 was that Rockdove in the Cesarewitcli of 1895. 

 All along that splendid piece of galloping ground, 

 from the point where they come into view after 

 passing the ditch, Rockdove was going so well that 

 defeat seemed impossible. However, nearing tl^e 



