206 THE ENGLISH TURF 



or second, when suddenly the ground gave way under his 

 horse's feet and he came down a terrible cropper. Luckily 

 neither horse nor jockey was seriously hurt, but it was a 

 curious affair, the ground being entirely to blame, as the 

 horse did not cross his legs or do anything to bring about 

 the fall. A very similar thing happened to the writer during 

 one winter, when crossing a ploughed field behind a pack of 

 foxhounds. It was nearly dark at the time, and the field 

 had been recently drained, so that the loose earth thrown 

 on to the top of the drain-pipes had not had time to become 

 hard and settled. I was going fast, and all of a sudden 

 down went one foreleg into loose soil, and over I came. In 

 my case a dirty coat and a saddle full of mud were the only 

 evil consequences, but then I had plenty of room to fall, 

 and no rushing field of horses at one side and a dangerous 

 rail at the other. A friend caught my horse, and as he 

 brought him exclaimed, " That's just the way St. Angelo fell 

 at Manchester through the ground giving away." St. Angelo 

 was owned by the late Duchess of Montrose, who had a 

 pretty way of putting things, and who, when asked about 

 St. Angelo, remarked, " Mine disappeared into the main 

 drain just when he looked like winning." This recalls to 

 my mind a very smart answer I heard the Duchess give. 

 It was some years ago, and at a time when the all-scarlet 

 had been having a run of shockingly bad luck. The change 

 came at Ascot, when two races were unexpectedly won on the 

 same afternoon. The Duchess saw the finish of the last 

 race from outside ; she was, in fact, standing on the course 

 close to the judge's box. As she returned to the neigh- 

 bourhood of the weighing-room many of her friends con- 

 gratulated her, and amongst others the late Major Egerton, 

 the handicapper for the meeting. " I congratulate you, 

 Duchess," said the Major ; "very glad your luck has turned." 

 Quietly the Duchess turned round, and in a deep voice 

 answered very slowly, " No thanks to you. Major ; it was 

 not a handicap." 



Returning to Manchester, the first flat-racing meeting of 

 the three held there is at Whitsuntide, and extends over 

 four days, from Wednesday to Saturday inclusive. Whit 



