42 COURSING 



lost his place. Then after an exchange or so he resumed 

 strong possession, and finishing with the death was a most one- 

 sided winner. 



On the last day of running the four left in were Five by 

 Tricks, Fabulous Fortune, Gallant, and Black Veil, and over 

 night Fabulous Fortune was a decided favourite, while Gallant, 

 being generally expected to beat Black Veil, was in slightly 

 stronger demand than Five by Tricks, his chance of getting into 

 the final course looking better than that of Five by Tricks, who 

 had to meet the favourite in the fifth round. It may be men- 

 tioned here that Fabulous Fortune had not been quite so well 

 liked on his way through the stake as had been the case twelve 

 months before. He had shown great smartness more than 

 once, and had evidently not lost his killing powers, but, on the 

 other hand, he had steadied himself too soon at the end of the 

 run up, and in his first course against Charioteer had certainly 

 thrown away a chance in this manner. Still, on the Friday 

 morning he was very generally expected to repeat his triumph 

 of 1896, and there was much disappointment when he was both 

 led and beaten by Five by Tricks. It was again the tendency 

 to dwell which cost Fabulous Fortune the all-important first 

 point. In the run up the pair were well matched, but the 

 favourite was showing in front when he steadied himself, and this 

 allowed Five by Tricks to get there two lengths to the good, 

 and put on a strong sequence before he lost possession. . After- 

 wards the course was of the give and take order and very well 

 contested, but when Fabulous Fortune killed he had not rubbed 

 out his opponent's good beginning, and was decidedly in arrears. 

 Gallant was favourite against Black Veil, but the latter showed 

 the better pace in the run up, and was well clear when she 

 brought the hare round. Unfortunately for herself Sir Thomas 

 Brocklebank's bitch did too much with her hare, brought it 

 too far round in fact, and thus helped Gallant to score. 

 Had the hare broken to the right or left, or even half round, 

 Black Veil would probably have gone on with it ; but as it 

 was, she brought it right round, and Mr. Holmes's greyhound, 

 who was not slow to avail himself of the opportunity, had 



