OPINIONS OF NOTED COURSERS 



151 



This is selected by no fewer than five coursers as by far the 

 best contested and most exciting they had ever witnessed ; and 

 of these three are strongly of opinion that, had the bitch been 

 better placed, the remarkable record of the little Irishman 

 would have been somewhat tarnished. It was obviously owing 

 to a close and skilful observance of this course that Bab-at-the 

 Bowster is, on several papers, pronounced the greyhound of the 

 century. 



It will be observed that one of the courses named by Mr. 

 Dent was that between Gay City and Greater Scot at Kempton ; 

 and Mr. G. M. Williams, a courser of considerable experience, 

 refers to this, remarking that, though the son of Paris fell, he 

 was quite under the impression that he finished a winner. We 

 were ourselves a witness' of this course, which was undoubtedly 

 a most exciting one, and our opinion as to the result quite tallies 

 with that of Mr. Williams. 



The following courses are named once : — 



Between Bed of Stone and Lurlme 

 „ Honeymoon and Corby Castle 

 „ FuUerton and Real Lace 

 „ Bumaby and Duke Macpherson 



It will be noticed that nearly all have been fought out on 

 classic Altcar, and there are several reasons why such records 

 live in the minds of spectators. In the first place, excitement 

 runs higher on these occasions, and the impressions are there- 

 fore calculated to be more lasting ; secondly, the high class of 

 dog competing tends to well-contested and exciting trials ; and, 

 finally, the nature of the ground lends itself to the highest tests 

 of a greyhound's merit. 



Before closing our remarks on the answers to this question, 

 it will be interesting to note the opinion of no less an authority 

 than Mr. James Hedley. During the intervals of coursing on 

 the occasion of a recent Waterloo Cup contest, in conver- 

 sation with the judge we asked him what was the best con- 

 tested, cleverest, and most exciting course he had ever seen. He 



