REMINISCENCES OF BERT DRAGE 



I was also very lucky with a horse I ran — I think 

 it was at Wetherby. He was made a favourite 

 and a Mr. Wilson, whom I have previously 

 mentioned, was talking to me just before the race. 

 He said how lucky I was with only about two horses 

 in the stable and both likely winners, so I said : 

 *' Why not buy my horse now before the start, 

 and then you will have a winner, I feel sure." 

 We agreed on the price, but, I regret to say, he was 

 beaten. I am afraid he never won. 



I ver}^ nearly got into a lot of trouble. I had two 

 horses in training at Newmarket, Ayot and Faiza, 

 but with no success, and so I had them sent home 

 in the autumn. Then I arranged with an old friend 

 of mine, named Matthew Peacock, to take them, 

 and I told him just to win any race he could with 

 them, and sell them. He won with one somewhere 

 up North and sold it. Then, as racing was nearly 

 over, he sent the other one home to me. Naturally, 

 I went to the box when it arrived and, to my dismay, 

 I found he had sent the wrong horse. When I 

 sent them to him one was a two-year-old and the 

 other a three-year-old, and he had got them mixed. 



I had an animal (I forget its name) in partnership 

 with my sister. It was in a race at Hamilton Park. 

 We met at Carlisle and then went on together. 

 We won easily and I sold the animal to Lord 

 Lonsdale for ;£700, which paid us very well. I 

 remember winning a race — I think that was at 

 Redcar. My horse was trained by Vasey at 



62 



