LUCKLESS FRIAR^S BALSAM 299 



This was a very good performance on the part of 

 Friar's Balsam. But there was really no need 

 to look beyond his public form that season, and 

 we entirely shared the belief of the public that 

 he would secure classic honours in 1888. 



If we formally tried Friar's Balsam before the 

 Two Thousand Guineas, there is no record of 

 the event in my book. Whether or not, when I 

 took him to Newmarket I was firmly convinced 

 he had nothing to fear from any of his opponents. 

 Two of them were his stable companions Orbit 

 and Ossory, owned by the Duke of Westminster. 

 Odds of 3 to I were freely laid on Friar's Balsam; 

 at 8 to I against, Ayrshire was second favourite. 

 To our utter dismay. Friar's Balsam made no 

 show in the race, and finished fifth of the six 

 runners. Not until he returned to the paddock 

 did we know there was anything wrong with him, 

 but we then found his mouth full of pus. An 

 unsuspected abscess had burst while he was 

 racing. I immediately telegraphed to London 

 for Mr. Williams, the veterinary surgeon, who 

 eventually removed a piece of loose bone from 

 the jaw. 



Friar's Balsam was a very difficult horse to 

 dress in the stable, he was so restless. When 

 this operation had to be performed we used to 

 put a Chifney bit in his mouth to keep him under 

 control. A single rein was attached to the under 

 portion of the bit, and the man ** doing " him held 



