86 CANADIAN TUEF RECOLLECTIONS 



seller Quimby opened the box, the westerners to a man 

 plunged against Milesian, confident, as they expressed 

 themselves, that no horse ever foaled could go the double 

 journey, especially when handicapped by an indifferent 

 rider, whereas the best cross-country jockeys in Canada 

 were up on the other horses, some eleven in number, that 

 started against him. If my memory serves me right, 

 Milesian carried the top weight, 174 pounds, the nearest 

 to him being Viley, with 162 pounds, and so on down to 

 135 pounds. At the drop of the flag Bannatyne rushed 

 his horse to the front at the first obstacle, a "double" in 

 the shape of a four-foot stone wall, into a lane and over 

 another three foot and a half fence out of it, he had a 

 clear length the best of his followers. When they passed 

 from view behind the first belt of timber the gallant son 

 of Mickey Free was striding along playing pathfinder by 

 six clear lengths. When next they swung into view it was 

 literally a case of Milesian first, the rest nowhere, and as 

 he came on with untiring stride through the swampy 

 home stretch two hundred yards in the lead one of the 

 heartiest cheers I ever heard at a race meeting welcomed 

 the winner. It was the greatest feat ever performed by 

 a steeplechaser this side or any other side of the water, 

 and though Milesian did not prove a brilliant success in 

 the stud, his record on the turf will forever keep his 

 memory green in the minds of Canadian turfmen. 



