TOD SLOAN 



The paper insisted on a reply from me and this is 

 what I sent : 



" I like the English people immensely — at any rate all those I 

 have come into contact with, and those I don't know don't matter, 

 anyhow, do they ? I like your English race-courses too. 



"The riding is not so difficult as in America ; here there is con- 

 siderably less work. I appreciate all the kind tilings that have been 

 said about me. As to the criticisms that have appeared, and which 

 I have seen quoted in one paper particularly, you may take it from 

 me they are nonsense from one end to the other. I don't trouble 

 about them one bit. Tod Sloan. 



Of course it wasn't always velvet for those who 

 followed me, both Americans and the public, for, as the 

 papers said, " There were occasional proofs that Sloan's 

 influence on the market was independent of his average 

 — some costly reverses might easily have weakened 

 its potency — but that such is not the case shows how 

 loyal and plucky are his chief supporters and how 

 sheep-like that section of the public with whom it is 

 an article of faith to back his mounts. One recognises 

 Sloan to be a great jockey who has brains as well as 

 boots, whose mounts are to an extent picked, and who, 

 whatever and for whoever he rides, is always a trier 

 and never muddles away a race in the manner more 

 than one have been muddled away this week by crack 

 jockeys. All this one freely admits, but none the less 

 is a blind worship of the American to be deprecated." 



Yes, of course there were some afternoons when some 

 of my backers looked doAvn their noses. It was their 

 own affair of course, and I had lost a bit very possibly 

 myself, but one thing which I always look back upon 

 with satisfaction : I did try to find mounts which had 

 a chance, but I can never remember an instance of 

 my doing somebody else out of a ride or of going 

 behind him to get it. I simply loved to win. It wasn't 



io8 



