The Life of Fred Archer 275 
whose proper weight was 8 stone ylh., so that Fred carried 5lb. 
overweight. That was on the Thursday, but Archer, who 
never spared himself and drew big cheques on nature, crossed 
to England thesame night, and on Friday rode at Sandown Park. 
Then came days of wasting to ride St. Mirin — days of 
physic in the evening and mornings in the Turkish bath. 
Really he had made up his mind not to ride less than about 
8 stone lolb. again, but he was tempted because the Cambridge- 
shire was the only big race he had never won. 
" I never have won the Cambridgeshire," he said to a friend, 
" and if I don't succeed this time I'll never try again." 
Prophetic words indeed ! 
Try as he would, Archer could not get down to scale 8 stone 
61b., and although he had the lightest of saddles and nothing 
except a silk shirt, he was a pound overweight. Another few 
ounces for a woollen singlet, and he might not have caught 
that fatal chill. 
It was a great race, but Archer was just beaten by a head 
by Mr. W. Gilbert's Sailor Prince, a six-year-old carrying 
7 stone 71b., and ridden by A. White ; while Mr. Somer's 
Carlton, a three-year-old carrying 6 stone 131b., and ridden 
by Woodburn, was third. Carlton was favourite at 425-100, 
while St. Mirin figured at 100 to 9, and the winner at 22 to i. 
St. Mirin as a three-year-old was attempting an extremely 
difficult task to give the winner a stone and three years, but 
there were some who thought that Archer would have won if 
he could have put more power into his finish. That, however, 
was not the general impression, and the writers of the day 
m the Sporting Chronicle were of the opinion that Archer had 
never been seen to more advantage in the saddle. 
On the Thursday he rode in six races, and won one, but on 
the last day of the meeting including a walk over he was first 
past the post on five occasions, and finished up by riding the 
last winner, this being Lord Falmouth's Blanchland in the 
Houghton Stakes. 
