94 HORSE-RACING PREVIOUS TO VANS. 



passed. I could mention a number of instances 

 of this famous jockey's matchless prowess in the 

 saddle, equal, j^erhaps, to those above enumerated. 

 The great secret in his art was, that it was impos- 

 sible for any one, not even the old jockeys who so 

 frequently rode against him, to know whether his 

 horse was extended or not, or whether he was on 

 the back of a free or a sluggish animal. He sat 

 without any apparent motion ; and when it suited 

 his purpose he would appear to be riding as if his 

 horse were tiring, whether he was so or not, a 

 latent effort being nearly always left in him suffi- 

 cient to win the race. He had a great aversion 

 to short - course races, and as much as possible 

 avoided riding in them, stating that often some 

 stable-boy upon an animal hardly able to carry a 

 saddle got off in front, and was past the winning- 

 post before any riding on the part of real jockeys 

 could be called into requisition. 



With the view of promoting long races at Good- 

 wood, Lord George Bentinck, at a great expense, 

 constructed the Maidstone Course, four miles long ; 

 and the King's Plate Course (another of his crea- 

 tions) which was three furlongs short of four miles. 

 The desired length could have been obtained by 

 going twice round the hill, as used to be done for 

 sweating horses in those days ; but of this his 

 LordshijJ did not approve, and preferred to make 

 a course outside the old circle round the hill and 

 the various clumps of trees. This course was 



