CHANGING CODOMAN'S PLATES 



I used. He told me he thought Codoman had a real 

 good chance. "Then if he has," I asked, "why not 

 make it more of a certainty ? " 



Finally it was left that he would try and talk over 

 Carter when we got out to the course. There was some 

 difficulty in this and perhaps it was only natural that 

 an old and experienced trainer like Carter should 

 resent a boy butting in and suggesting what should be 

 done. I saw that he was ill-pleased and not at all 

 inclined to be content but at last he did yield and the 

 plates were changed. 



Tlie plates made all the difference and some people 

 told me they had never seen Codoman travel as well 

 before. I was lying first or second all the way and 

 shouted to the boy who was alongside me that I was 

 not going to make my run until the top of the hill. 

 He didn't answer and I suppose he thought that I 

 might be kidding him ; at all events he took no notice. 

 Just as announced I slipped the horse along exactly 

 where I had indicated, and all those who remember 

 that event in 1900 will know that he won comfortably. 

 M. Ephrussi was very pleased but I had no congratu- 

 lations from Mr Carter, who, however, let me say at 

 once, has been very pleasant to me in recent years. 



There was at the time no serious idea of Codoman 

 running in the Cambridgeshire. Anyhow the race in 

 Paris had been a good one for me and several of my 

 friends. The question of any present was not touched 

 upon at the time but of course I received the five 

 thousand francs for going over. I was pleased with 

 the horse and began to think that although he had 

 incurred a 10-lb. penalty for the Cambridgeshire, which 

 brought his weight up to 8-10, he might neverthe- 

 less have a chance. There had, however, been some 

 talk about my riding one or two others in the race. 



i8i 



