My Racing Adventures 



is a sort of ringing the changes after the money 

 is gone. 



Several of the jockeys engaged to ride in the 

 chief race that day signed a petition to have 

 it postponed on account of the tempestuous 

 weather, and I was one of the heroes who affixed 

 my signature to that historical document. Our 

 counsels of prudence were ineffective. The 

 stewards waited for about ten minutes, and then 

 told us we had to go. Some of the ancient 

 hunting men, who attend in large numbers at 

 Aintree to see the "National," were vastly 

 delighted. It reminded them, no doubt, of their 

 own grand old days of derring-do when they 

 rode after fox through snow and over tremendous 

 obstacles just as though they had a spare neck 

 in their pocket, and were not afraid to produce 

 it in the nick of time. 



So as to clear the ground for the purpose of 

 this thrilling chapter, I must also place the fact 

 on record that " Grudon " is the only stallion 

 (so far as I can make out) that has won the 

 " Liverpool " since my father trained and owned 

 " Shifnal," who won it in 1878, being ridden by 

 the late John Jones, father of the King's jockey. 

 A typical 'chaser, " Grudon " is by " Old Buck " 

 out of "Avis"; and I believe that I am quite 



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