STEEPLE-CHASING 



were out by themselves. Though jackets and faces of riders 

 were of one uniform mud-colour I recognised the neat seat 

 of little Beasley and the other horse, I knew, was Seaman. 



' Now at the Curragh three years later Fred Archer, having 

 been beaten in the Welter race by Tommy Beasley on Spahi 

 after a great set-to, declared that he had never seen an amateur 

 who could ride as good a finish as his opponent. So here was 

 the " tyro " pitted against this redoubtable race-rider in one 

 of the most desperate finishes ever seen at Aintree. As they 

 neared the last fence, however, my glasses showed me that 

 Cyrus was a more beaten horse than Seaman, and Beasley 

 took hold of him and resolutely drove him at it. I think the 

 fences were then not so strongly made up as they seemed to 

 be the last time I walked the course, for Cyrus fairly " mowed 

 it," while Seaman jumped it clean and well. Once over, 

 though, he hung a bit and lost some ground. Beasley was 

 " at " his mount and level again with Seaman. Locked 

 together they passed the stands. Lord Manners sitting still 

 but riding out his horse with his hands. Beasley doing all 

 he knew and squeezing the last ounce out of Cyrus, the last 

 ounce, the absolutely last ounce ! for on the very post he 

 drops back the merest trifle and the race is Seaman's by the 

 shortest of heads. " How did the Lord work ? " I heard one 

 of the Irish brigade ask the defeated jockey. " He made no 

 mistake from first to last," was the quiet reply — " Don't I 

 wish he had ! " The gallant Seaman broke down after passing 

 the post and came back on three legs to be greeted as I have 

 described, having run his last race. The leg " held " just a 

 little too long for Mr. Linde.' 



271 



