ORME AND LA FL£CHE 343 



When he went to Sandown he was not, of course, 

 the horse he ought to have been, but for a month 

 or so he had picked up strength in an astonishing 

 way, and I had no hesitation in advising the Duke 

 to run him. His Grace was hugely deHghted 

 when he saw Orme defeat Orvieto by a neck. 

 And so were the public. There was a great 

 scene when Orme's number went up. For two 

 or three minutes the Duke, who had watched 

 the race sitting between the Duke of Cambridge 

 and Lord Penrhyn, stood, hat in hand, bowing 

 to the crowd as they cheered and cheered again. 

 And many of my friends were good enough to 

 shower congratulations upon me. I am bound 

 to say I felt very proud indeed. George Barrett 

 rode Orme and handled him very well. Orvieto 

 and Orme, side by side, were in front of the field 

 all the way up the straight. Barrett waited until 

 a few strides from the post, and then suddenly 

 shot Orme out to win by a neck. 



We were not altogether unprepared for this 

 happy result. Four days before the race I was able 

 to place the following record in my Trial Book : 



Orme, 3 yrs., 9 st. 7 lb. . . . Webb i 



Ormuz, 6 yrs., 8 st. 2 lb. . . Peak 2 



Blue Green, 5 yrs., 9 st. . . . Barrett 3 



Won by two lengths; four lengths between 

 second and third. 



The report current at Sandown on Eclipse 

 day was that I had tried Orme to be 7 lb. better 



