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I SOME HUTviOR OF THE TURF Versatile Punter and His Odd Instructions — , Spur of Profanity. i A British wag, when asked how it was that ilajor Harding Cox, the well-known , sportsman, managed to win so many races on impossible mounts, replied, "Oh, dont you know? He climbs up his horses necks and shouts bad language into their ears. This so shocks them that in their efforts to avoid contamination they exert the last ounce of effort." This story is told by Major Jiarding Cox in his book, "Racing and Chasing." On another occasion a certain little rntn shouted to him during a race, "Go on ! Go on, guv-nor ! Ive got me blooming shirt on yer, and if yer dont click Ill drown meseif." The horse won, and the rider, meeting the little man afterward, asked him out of curiosity wliat his trade might be. "Well, guvnor," he answered, "by rights Im an undertakers mute, but I do a bit o teaching in the Sunday-schools most weeks." , i , Tn one race there were three runners, one of which atsaiisJ to have so little chance that the ot!u-r two riders paid no at! Dtion. to it, but Kept watching one another during the course of the race. The "outsidii-" took the lead, but still the others paid no attention. "Here, I say," suddenly shouted one of them, "v.-e shall never catch that Join r if we dont hurry up ." And they never did. Just as humerous was an incident which occurred before another race, when a Berae, becoming detached from its rider, scampered off on its own. A stalwart poHcenuua, mounted on a "hairy-heeled weight-car;-; r," came on the scene and the fallen rider com-BSaBdeered the ponderous steed of authority and werrt in chase of his own mount. He captured the runaway, changed mounts, and returned to the course in time to win the race ! The same rider, who was an officer in the army, was refused leave on an occasion when lie was to take part in a race. On the morning of the event, when the regiment was Haed up, the officer appeared on a charger which, as soon as the hand struck up, bolted and receded from view — in the direction of the station! The officer rode in the race and wonl
