view raw text
JOHN OSBORNES SUPERIOR JOCKEYSHIP I we John Osbarat has just celebrated his eighty-thlrd birthday, and he is a truly wonderful man. for be ri.lc exercise regularly, and reads sale catalogues without glasses. Tlie Sporting limes writes of hiui a- having iieoi in the habit if tiding waitii.; n .s aad not wearing comfortable when in front. Now lay idea of him i- di. men ieally opposed to 1 1 1 i — . for 1 am quite sure In- had a sounder Knowledge of pace than aay of bis contemporaries, and would just as -ooM be la front a- behind while the pace be was going at was a true one. I well remember seeiag li in, make the whole if tlie running for the Ascot Cup on Apology, arhlle hi- li Itber in law. Tom Clia loner, lay off a Tery long way oa Craig Millar. Cbu-1 oner brought Craig Millar with one long run in the approved .fi style, bat John Osborne had saved u-t a trifle for fin- absolute finish, ami Apology got home by a short hall length. There is little doubt i raig Miliar would base won bat for lying Bo far out of his ground, for he was a fine stayer, and Cha lone;- lode a much hotter race on him for the Doncaster Cup then two mile- and five furlong-1 that year, when lo- "on ,.-isilv i two lengths, boating Hampton. Controversy, Charon and Bersaglier. What Blair Athol days those were. The Kew Stakes, Immediately aftet tie- Craig Millar bad run for tin- Ascot Cup. was won by three length- bj Rob i Ruy, which hud scored with eojaal eaae oa the Tues- ihy lb. ii in tin- iiexl rare cane- Tangible by Blair Athol. beating Eeossali and so on and so on. while tie race before the Doncaater Cap, the Don i stcke-. was won, ton lengths, by Tariae the Plal- ■ len bv lllair Athol i. which fame out again for the Dark Hill Stake-, tin- race after the Cup. and won it by five lengths from Zee ami Footstep. No wonder -i assay of as ns d to be more or less mad about Blair Athol in those day-, and perhaps are so -till. A- to John Osborne, however, his supreme merit : - a iockcv was perhaps never so clearly demonstrated is at Go dwood in 1881, when on the Wednesday lie won tile Draw in. RoOSI Stake- on Pri- VI r. beating Fred Archer, who rode Patsair, a i lead. 122 pound- each. Meeting again on preciselj til. same terms for the Racing slakes. Osborne on , Privateer again beat Archer on Paeaale by a bead. t ■■ prestige of Archer waa seen that Passaic Started Slightly the better favorite for the second I i.e. bnt it is clear from the above record thai Jobs Osborne, who was even then nearer than fiftj than forty, was then fully equal to Archer. I believe . tven now In- could hold bis own arlth BMB* of ear areaeat-day locheya, and though be i- obi in ■ point of vears there i- BO reason that I -ee why lie should not rival my obi friend Mr. King-ley, tin Rector of Kiletagtoa, who is now close on 101 yean old "The special CeaBWiirioner" in London . Bpartaaura. ___
