2 24 ^-^^^ Cotirse, the Camp, the Chase 



if he had given his proper running. Yet he had been 

 ridden by some of the best jockeys of the day, so that on 

 the face of it the book form seemed as if it was correct. 

 At Thirsk I determined to ride him myself, which I had 

 hitherto been prevented from doing, from having broken 

 three ribs only five weeks before, and being still strapped 

 up on one side. My horse very soon began to drop away 

 from the others, as in his former races, and when still a 

 mile from home was a considerable distance behind, while 

 in the Ring 100 to 1 was being offered in vain against 

 him. Though very much averse to punishing a horse, I 

 was determined to have it out with him, and used my 

 whip with great effect. He soon began to realise that he 

 had better mend his ways, and when we turned into the 

 straight we were at the heels of the rearmost horses. The 

 late Mr. Egremont Lascelles was just then passing on his 

 way to the station, with one of the trainers, and he told me 

 afterwards that, as we passed, he asked the question, " Is it 

 possible for him to win ? " when the other replied, " No, it 

 is qiiite impossible " ; but, to his unbounded astonishment, 

 the next morning's paper showed that we had won after 

 all. 



The horse was now running with some dash, and by 

 the time we got to the distance we had drawn level with 

 the late Mr. Abington, who was riding " Blue Back," and 

 who was sitting at his ease a neck in front of Mr. W. 

 Brown, who was riding hard on " Diana." 



When Mr. Abington suddenly found me at his side, he 

 lost his head for a moment and got out of balance with 

 his horse, and, seeing this, I was able to drop my hands for 

 a few strides, and ease the pressure under which my horse 

 had now been running for nearly a mile. Fifty yards 



