My Racing Adventures 



" Stuart," and he did not appear to be at all 

 grieved when he put paid to my account on that 

 occasion. His words of consolation were few 

 and terse. 



" When we do not win," he said, in effect, " at 

 the first time of asking, we must try, try again, 

 go on trying, and the man in the box will see us 

 all right in time if we continue to pester him 

 sufficiently." 



The man in the box soon saw me at the head 

 of affairs. My first winning mount was on 

 " Bonnie King Charley " at Alexandra Park in 

 1883. Several noteworthy circumstances were 

 associated with that triumph. On the same 

 day, before he won at 5 furlongs, I had ridden 

 " Bonnie King Charley " in a mile race, when he 

 made no show at all ; in his second essay he 

 started at 100 to 1 against him, with bookmakers 

 anxious to lay ; he beat a hot favourite in Sir G. 

 Chetwynd's " Shy," ridden by Charles Wood ; 

 yet, truth to tell, I was not supposed to be " on 

 the map." All the most astute judges were 

 vastly surprised when I came sailing home in 

 front, though naturally I did not experience any 

 sensations of astonishment. A young jockey 

 generally feels pretty sure that he is going to 

 win when the local conditions are at all favour- 



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