ACQUIRING ABELARD II. 



pounds in weight. His chance didn't look so rosy. Lord 

 Torrington had backed him to win a very large sum at 

 long prices and there was still a chance considering 

 how light a weight he had to carry. Mr Edwardes 

 never had the slightest idea of his winning ; in fact he 

 ridiculed me — but he hadn't seen the way Abelard 

 had won his races in Belgium. Admitted that the 

 class there is below that of England and France, still 

 when a horse gives stones away on the flat to quite 

 useful horses it must be taken some notice of. He 

 never showed at all in the Cambridgeshire. I think 

 his rider thought that the horse was going to run away 

 with him or something. However one mustn't blame 

 him. It was a disappointment nevertheless. If 

 Abelard could have appeared on Newmarket Heath 

 that Wednesday in the same fettle as he was in on 

 many days in Belgium he would have made a different 

 showing ; but for all that Christmas Daisy would have 

 wanted beating by anything in training. 



George Parfrement had ridden in the Steeplechase 

 in Belgium when Abelard had won and was determined 

 in the Prix des Drags at Auteuil not to let our horse 

 get so far away from him. I thought he was sure to 

 fall if George kept to this tack of lying on his heels. 

 At the stone wall Abelard pecked and his rider 

 was shot out of the saddle but the horse did not 

 fall. 



After the Cambridgeshire it will be remembered 

 that Abelard won on the flat and his performances 

 after over hurdles in England can be remembered. 



After the incident of the tearing up of the licence all 

 hope seemed at an end about obtaining anything. It 

 seemed to me almost persecution, for a full explana- 

 tion could have been given, but of course I had no 



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