BLOODSTOCK AND RACING 



yearling he developed spavin. I always feel that 

 the most permanent cure of a spavin causing 

 lameness is to let the animal gallop and trot as 

 much as he likes in a field. What causes lameness 

 from a spavin is the roughness of the bone, but if 

 the horse uses the hock a lot it wears smooth and so 

 is not so likely to cause lameness. 



Anyhow I had the colt castrated and turned him 

 out for six months. He got quite sound and I 

 sent him to Bert Randall to train. He was a big 

 colt and I though the best plan was not to run him 

 early in the year. I put him in four races right 

 at the back end. I told Randall not to hurry but 

 just have him ready at the back end. I remember 

 his first race was at Leicester. When I saw him 

 in the paddock I was very disappointed, as I thought 

 Bert had hurried him in his preparation and I told 

 him so as tactfully as I could, and after the race I 

 should like him to go straight up to Peacock at 

 Middleham. Bert rode him and won comfortably. 

 I felt such a fool, and I told Bert that I was very 

 sorry and that he had better take him back. I 

 never had anything on him. 



His next race was at Lewes, about two weeks 

 later. He was favourite, and I backed him, but 

 he was easily beaten. Then, in about a fortnight 

 he ran again at Leicester and won. The next week 

 he ran at Warwick and won again. The only time 

 I backed him was when he got beat — not very 

 clever. 



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