CHAPTER XXIII. 



CAMBRIDGESHIRE TRIALS. 



Trials at Woodyates and Shipton, and performances in the race- 

 of the following : Allbrook, Hobbie Noble, Weatherbound, Catch 

 'em Alive, Sultan, and Foxhall — Foxhall's wonderful victory — 

 Compared with Tristan and Iroquois — Need of a ' stayer ' in 

 the Cambridgeshire — Value of trials — Story of the fraud as to 

 weight in Catch 'em Alice's year — Jockeys in trials — Jockeys 

 and ' stable-boys ' in the saddle contrasted — Instances and 

 their teaching. 



Few of my readers, I hope, and still fewer of those 

 who are interested in the turf, will grudge me a little 

 space to set down some account of trials which took 

 place at Woodyates and Shipton with several remark- 

 able horses. For I think the study of the results and 

 a comparison of them with those of other trials, the 

 details of which have alreadv been given, will be in- 

 teresting as showing that mostly the race has proved 

 the correctness of the trial, but yet that, however well, 

 in trying, you may put horses together, unexpected 

 difficulties will often arise and not unfrequently 

 frustrate the best laid plans. The trials which I 

 propose to consider with this end in view, are those 



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