CHAPTER VIII 
The next year, 1874, saw Archer fairly at the head of affairs 
with the magnificent total of 147 wins. Early in this year his 
lowest riding weight was 6 stone, but at the end of it he had gone 
up a lot in the scale, so, even after severe wasting, had to declare 
3 lb. overweight when getting down to 6 st. i lb. for the Truth 
gelding in the Cesarewitch, a race in which many think he 
would have been successful but for the weakness he suffered 
from in consequence of wasting. At any rate, he allowed the 
strength of that pocket Hercules, Glover, who had the mount 
on Lord Ailesbury's Aventuriere, to turn the scale of riding 
against him. 
The following story is worth relating as throwing an inter- 
esting light on how handicaps were made in those days. 
Admiral Rous was the handicapper, and when he was in 
any difficulty he was in the habit of consulting his friend 
George Hodgman. The gelding by Wamba out of Truth 
belonged to Mr. Fred Swindell, who was, to say the least, rather 
" warm," and he had saved the horse for the Cesarewitch. 
So long-headed was Swindell that he even took the gelding 
away from his own trainer and sent him to Mathew Dawson 
twelve months beforehand, because he knew that by doing so 
he should make sure of Archer's services. 
Admiral Rous and Hodgman happened to meet at Leaming- 
ton, and the former produced his Cesarewitch handicap, 
which was then in the making. " What does this mean ? " 
said Hodgman, pointing to the Truth gelding. " You have 
b9 
