SANTOI AS TRIAL HORSE 



I wanted him at Chaloner's place, and I begged Mr 

 Edwardes to let me take charge of him for the week 

 before he was due to run in an engagement on the first 

 day. 



The week before the Cambridgeshire was practically 

 devoted to looking after the pair of them. They had 

 easy work for a day or two, and then one morning they 

 were given a rough up. I was on Codoman and a lad 

 on Santoi. I let the two horses kid each other that 

 one could beat the other ; as a matter of fact they 

 were about as level as two horses could be : but 

 Codoman finished in front. I had a great opinion 

 of Santoi — in fact a much greater liking than Mr 

 Edwardes had. I told my friends too what I thought 

 of Codoman's chance win and place, and there were 

 packets of money put on him each way ; in fact nearly 

 every wager was on those lines. 



The day of the race approached, Santoi was in the 

 Select Stakes at Newmarket and after a little per- 

 suasion Mr Edwardes agreed to run him but at first 

 declined to back him. He said : " According to you 

 it was a sort of fake gallop, not a trial, and Codoman 

 was just as good ; that isn't much of a test to risk a 

 lot of money on." 



I told him what a good horse Codoman was, and at 

 that moment I was convinced Santoi could win, for I 

 had begun to have an enormous opinion of him ; I 

 have referred to him in a former chapter of the book 

 as being one of the two best I have ever ridden in my 

 life. At last I induced Mr Edwardes to have a big bet, 

 and I was not going to be a loser myself. 



The whole thing was nearly coming undone at the 

 post : Santoi was impossible : he fiddled me about, 

 and when the starter sent us off he stood right still, and 

 the others were a hundred yards away before I could 



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