LE BLIZON AND THE ECLIPSE 



has opinions of his own on the question. Perhaps 

 a special committee should be nominated to control 

 bookmakers and collect their licence fees. It might 

 too be a question whether all the big men betting in 

 Tattersall's ring should not be compelled to obtain a 

 guarantee from the clubs they respectively belong to. 

 Mention of Mr Bottomley makes me wish to record 

 the sympathy and kindness he has shown me for years. 

 I wish I could have another day like that enjoyed 

 when his horse Le Blizon won a big sprint race at 

 Maisons Laffitte some years back. I followed the tip 

 of his fancying the horse and the result put me on easy 

 street for some months. There is another incident 

 in connection with this horse which has not been 

 recorded in these pages. It was when Jimmy Hare — 

 the father — decided, because I would ride him, to 

 run Le Blizon in the Eclipse Stakes. I think it was I 

 suggested that he should take a chance with the horse, 

 who, as the majority will remember, could not go very 

 well over six furlongs. As in other cases I assured 

 Jimmy that his horse would not be knocked about 

 and although he didn't win he was tickled to death at 

 the show Le Blizon made. 



I hung in behind all the way round at Sandown, 

 getting the advantage of the wind-break of others in 

 front of me and was going great guns up to a furlong 

 and a half from home, for he had run his race for over 

 a mile, stretching out well within himself. It was only 

 that final rise to the winning post of less than a furlong 

 which beat him. 



Tliere are many other non-stayers who could 

 perhaps do just as well if riders would only study that 

 question of getting every advantage of " wind-break," 

 just as a cyclist does from his pace maker ; the screen 

 is invaluable. This does not necessarily mean that a 



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