334 RACING IN CEYLON 



I bought him. This chestnut was one of the 

 biggest thoroughbreds (he was by Oliver 

 Twist out of a Kelpie mare) I ever saw, 

 and on his first appearance he won seven 

 races (flat and hurdle) out of eight starts, 

 only being stopped out of the Forced 

 Handicap at the end of the meeting by 

 something like thirteen stone being put on 

 his back. Unfortunately, like many another 

 good horse in Ceylon, he was attacked by 

 what is known there as "a stroke of the 

 wind," which is, in fact, an incurable paralysis 

 of some of the lumbar muscles. His hurdling 

 days were over, but even with this affliction 

 he could always do his mile in two minutes 

 untrained. His end was curious. I left 

 him behind with a brother officer to sell 

 when I came home, and he went into native 

 hands, only to reappear when some planter 



