CHAPTER VI 



FIRST TRIP TO ENGLAND 



Misery in London — Cold Shoulder at Newmarket — My First Gallop — 

 Preparing St Cloud II. — Covering Fifteen Miles — First Appearance 

 on a Course — Beating the Gate — Losing yet winning the Cambridge- 

 shire — Lord William's Kindness — A Week of Successes 



Later on there will be scores of characters I have met 

 and horses I have ridden to talk about, but as I finished 

 up my last chapter by writing about my English career 

 it might perhaps be a good thing to tell here how I 

 made my first start for London and my innings as a 

 jockey in England and France from 1897 to 1900. 



In the summer of 1897 Mr James R. Keene sent for 

 me to his down-town office in New York. " Sloan," 

 he said, " I've got a horse, St Cloud II., in the Cesare- 

 witch and the Cambridgeshire. My trainer, Pincus, 

 thinks he has a good chance. I have been thinking 

 over the advantage of getting you to ride him. Would 

 you like to go over to England ? " 



It didn't take me long to answer : "I certainly 

 would." 



" How soon could you go ? " 



" To-morrow." 



" Well I don't want you to decide so quickly." 



However, the matter was settled then and there, 

 and I sailed on the following Wednesday, 17th 

 September, on the Majestic^ and landed in England 

 with Ed. Gaines, the walking man, whom I took with 

 me. There was no one to meet me, and feeling as 

 lonely and out of the swim as a fish on land I went 



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