My Racing Adventures 



Gatwick was unexpectedly successful. Accord- 

 ing to the betting, I was not assumed to be on 

 the course. Pretty nearly every runner — and 

 there were many, some of superior credentials 

 — was fancied more than mine was ; almost any 

 price — save, perhaps, " German Odds," which, I 

 am informed, run into noble figures — could 

 have been obtained against " Donative." He 

 was reputed to be uncertain, coy, and hard to 

 please — also fickle and a bit of a "welsher." 

 Yet in a fast-run race he was quite ready when 

 I asked him to go to the front ; and he won 

 cleverly. He was then owned by Mr H. 

 Macksey, the once well - known trainer and 

 jockey, who recently went to Buenos Ayres. 

 I shall not be surprised to learn that he 

 astonished the natives to some extent in those 

 parts after he had become acclimatised, since 

 he is a perfect master of his art in every way. 

 Natives who strive to speak first are not likely 

 to say much — not until the wrangle has been 

 decided against them. 



At a meeting in the Midlands, where I won 

 a hurdle race on "Tours," the owner of the 

 second objected to me for boring, or something 

 of that kind. His jockey — a gentleman rider 

 with whom I was friendly — had tried to come 



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