How Races were Won and Lost 189 



it was not a very large field that started, they were all 

 winners of many good races. Everett, on " Barbian," had 

 drawn No. 1 on the rails, while I was No. 3. The moment 

 the flag fell I sent " Solitario " to the front solely with the 

 idea of showing him up well in front, and intending to 

 steady him and draw him back as soon as he was headed, 

 in the hopes of getting better into a handicap later on in 

 the meeting. Before a hundred yards had been traversed 



1 was able to slip across on to the rails and take Everett's 

 place there, as " Barbian " had begun slowly and was a length 

 or two in rear. At the first turn " The Gift," an aged horse, 

 in at a very light weight — in fact, we were giving him 



2 St. 1 lb. — came up on the whip hand, and to save 

 pulling at my horse, to keep him close in to the rails, I 

 allowed the other to get a neck in front, so that he 

 shouldered me round ; and we went on together in a 

 similar manner, round the second and third posts, till we 

 entered the straight. All this time I had been expecting 

 something to come up and wrest the lead from us, but 

 when we were still leading, with only the run-in before us, 

 it flashed across me, " Why should we not win this race ! " 

 Up to that time I had been riding somewhat carelessly, 

 but now every nerve was strained to carry off the prize. 

 " The Gift " soon dropped back ; " Solitario " was stretched 

 to his full pace, but not pushed to quite his utmost 

 powers ; and it seemed as if we were going to win comfort- 

 ably. At the " distance," however, I was aware of a horse 

 stealing up to us, and glancing back, I saw the grey nose 

 of " Percliance," ridden by Adams, not more than a length 

 behind. Inch by inch he gained, but he was coming very 

 close alongside, and just as his head reached my quarters, 

 remembering to have heard that he was not supposed to 



