THE ADMIRAL'S MISTAKE. 257 



bella back and called her Weatherbound, and so got a 

 little weight off her. 



It is not often that you see two first favourites for 

 the great handicaps win thern both, and in the same 

 stable. I may say here, that on entering the town, 

 opposite the Rutland Arms Hotel, I met Admiral 

 Rous, and he asked me what I thought w T ould win 

 to-morrow, and I told him Weatherbound. To this 

 he replied : 



' Nonsense ! she is heads and tails with a dozen, 

 and to have a chance you must have completely 

 changed the nature of the animal.' 



The Admiral went down to assist at starting that 

 year, and the mare got badly off. On his return to 

 the stand, just before he got into the crowd, he said 

 to a man he met : 



' Which has won ?' 



' Weatherbound,' was the curt reply. 



' Nonsense !' he answered, for the Admiral, too, had 

 his familiar word — ' Nonsense! she never got off.' 



This was confirmed by w T hat others have said as to 

 the around she lost at starting;. So much for the 

 judgment of the great handicapper and turf legis- 

 lator. 



After this Mr. Swindell owned but few horses, I 

 think, and the only one of any note was Lucy Glitters, 

 who at the time he bought her for £900 was lame, 

 or very nearly so, there can be no doubt ; and she 

 never did him any good. Amongst others, he did 



17 



