The Life of Fred Archer 273 
off. I looked at the list and said, ' Your horse, Cambusmore, 
has only g stone on.' He answered, ' What nonsense ! ' So I 
bet him half-a-crown I was correct, and when he read the con- 
ditions over two or three times he found out he was wrong. 
" They had mixed them up in real Irish fashion, hence 
Fred's mistake. I believe these were the conditions of the 
race. ' The Lord Lieutenant's Plate, one and a half miles, 
for two-year-olds, 7 stone ; three-year-olds, 8 stone 10 lb. ; 
four-year-olds and upwards, 9 stone ; 3 lb. allowed for mares 
and geldings.' In England it is the rule to put it: ' Mares 
and geldings allowed 3 lb.,' but unless anyone read it right 
through, and looked carefully into it, he might easily make 
the same mistake as Archer, and think the weight for a five- 
year-old would be 9 stone 3 lb. 
" The next day being Wednesday he had nothing to ride, 
so he said he would not go down to the Curragh, but have 
a Turkish bath and get ready to ride Cambusmore. He was 
also asked to ride Mr. C. J. Blake's Isidore, who was thought 
to be a good thing at 8 stone I2lb. in the race afterwards, a 
sweepstake for two-year-olds. He said he would try to do 
the weight, and he did it, without walking a mile. 
" A rather amusing thing happened at this part of the 
visit. Mr. G. Haughton was staying at the Shelburne, and 
wanted some medicine after his sea voyage. Archer said to 
him, ' Will you have some of this mixture ? I am just going to 
take some.' He said, ' Yes. How much ought I to take ? ' 
Fred said directly, ' You don't want to take so much as I 
do,' and he gave him a tablespoonful, and took nearly a sherry- 
glass himself. The result was poor Haughton did ' walking- 
exercise ' all night and could not go to the races next day. 
I quote this to show the state poor Fred's stomach had got 
into with continual physicking. 
" As mentioned in the earUer part of this story, he couldn't 
ride an ounce under 9 stone 41b. on the Tuesday afternoon, 
and on the Thursday afternoon he rode 8 stone I2lb. This 
S 
