88 TALES OF PINK AND SILK. 



and showing no signs of ever having been asked to do his 

 best. " Oh ! the old beggar always cuts it on a racecourse. 

 He never will finish first, if he does get as far up the course 

 as the winning-post, for he occasionally gets rid of his rider 

 at the post or else bolts. It's heart-breaking, Fred," he con- 

 tinues. " Here is a great good-looking horse, that's fit to win 

 one of the Autumn Handicaps, flatters me to the utmost at 

 home, but will not do his best in company." 



" He seemed to go very kindly with the lad who was riding 

 him," said Major Coveney, " and a nice rider he appears to be, 

 too. I don't know much about these matters, but why don't 

 you let the men who know most about the horses ride these 

 funny- tempered animals in their races ? You put up a jockey, 

 good enough in his way, no doubt, but knowing little or 

 nothing of the waj^s and wiles of his mount, and then you 

 lose your race after all. Why don't you give the lad a chance? 

 You can only lose again, and racing is not bread and cheese 

 to 3^ou, as it is to many." 



" Well, Bates, the first jockey of the stable, has ridden 

 him lots of times, both here and away, and the horse seems 

 to hate the very sight of him," said Dalton. " He has a job 

 to get on without being savaged. Then he put down Harrison 

 at York, and bolted twice with Graham at Newmarket. Oh ! 

 he's hopeless, I'm afraid." 



" Ask Fielding what he thinks of my suggestion," said the 

 Major. 



"Major Coveney has an idea. Fielding, that Blue Bock 

 would run kinder with that lad than the man we pay such 

 an extravagant retaining fee to," remarked Dalton, as the 

 trio wended their way toAvards the trainer's house and break- 

 fast. " What do you think ? " 



"Well, sir, he couldn't do much worse. And really the 

 idea entered my own head, too. The horse has done Avonder- 

 fully well since that lad has ridden him, and very much the 



