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REWARD OF PERSEVERANCE + How Custance Won with Prince Rupert and Caught Train. ♦ ■ T rnrertaitity of Raring- Shown When Pace- cl maker. Nimrod, Runs Away. From Favorites a ml Captures Stewards Plate. _ ♦ 1 Henry distances book. "Tiidinp: Tlecollec- ] tions and Turf Stories. is rich in anecdote 1 and turf lore. The riding contemporary of • Fred Archer. CeorRe Fordham. Jem Snow-den and John Osborne, not to mention many other noted riders of his time. Mr. "ustaru-e . relates his own personal experiences in his : own way. Here follows a curious and amus- : ing experience that will bear repeating: "It was in the Stewards Plate at Stock-bridge, run on June :10. 1859. over two miles. ] Fisherman, which had won the Queens : Plates and Cups all over the country, and Marionette, which had run second for the . Herby that year, were to meet at weight for age. I rode a mare called Scent, but : the race was really between the two first named horses, and curiously enough, the owners of both of them thought they wanted a strong-run race. "As William Pay had a horse called Nimrod. owned by Mr. Parker, engaged. I believe that 1 am right in saying he drew money from both the owners of Fisherman and 1 Marionette to make running for them, nothing having been said about his winning. . This they never dreamt of. Anyhow, there ! were four runners, including Scent. MMROD SETS THE PACE. "Jimmy Adams, riding Nimrod. jumped off r at a pood pace, while I lay second on Scent. ; Cresswell was on Fisherman and Ben Bray on Marionette, and they waited together a long way off. Nimrod still increased his lead and at the half-mile post he was at least t two hundred yards in front of me, and I I was about the same distance in front of the e other two. My mare having broken a blood l vessel. I was pulling her up when the t*o came past me looking at each other, and. I 1 suppose, thinking — but I dont know why — - that the other horse would pull up too. All at t once they both set going, and go they did ; but it was too late, as Nimrod scrambled j home first by three lengths. "Never was the glorious uncertainty of ;hc c turf more fully exemplified. It was a luchv v race for William Hay. as he won the stakes, i. and I believe, as 1 said before, a retainer from the other two owners to make running thus supporting a theory I have always s maintained— that horses may grve welpM t away, but they cannot give distance. As R another proof of this 1 may mention Fridays •s victory in the Goodwood Cup of 1882. ANOTHER FUNNY RACE. While writing about Stockbridge. T am reminded of another funny race in which I was is concerned that took place in 1872. I intended i- going to London to meet my wife and d some friends on the Friday morning, but I I happened to meet Mr. Dawson, who told me ie he should run a three-year-old called Liverpool, belonging to Mr. Padwick. who had a a claim on me at the time. The horse was is badly handicapped, having 154 pounds on. n. and only three years old. and at that time ie professional jockeys were penalized six ,x pounds, making his weight 160 pounds, with h which it seemed impossible to win. -The race was set to be run at three e oclock and I had made up my mind to try Iv and catch the :1:45 train, and told Tom Mc-leorge, the starter, of my intention. There ie was something like ten runners and Prince ?e Rupert, ridden by Mr. Trewent. was a good d favorite, and came toward the post with a a big curb bridle on. led by a groom, who 10 loosed him before he reached there, and away IV he went and ran the course. As soon as he ne came back. McGeorge said. Loose him. and 1j dropped the flag to a good start. Away went t Prince Rupert and befbre he had gone a a quarter of a mile had a ten-length lead and id came right through the last opening about Ilt a quarter of a mile from home. RIDING TO ATCH A TRAIN. All the front horses, thinking pursuit ■ it hopless. were pulling up. I kept riding along, *• and passing Fordham and Cannon, they said: d: Where are you going? •• "To catch a train, I said. •But. seeing the horse in front switching ng his tail and trying to stop. I kept on. Wrhen en I was inside the distance. Prince Rupert was fully six lengths in front. Still. I kept riding on the off-chance of his stopping and I I kept getting a little nearer, although my three-year-old with 160 pounds to carry had i had nearly enough. Mr. Trewent suddenly looked around and saw me coming and up P went his whip. The first time he hit Prince ef Rupert he kicked, the next time he half stopped and turned sideways to kick within n half a length of the winning post, which was the distance Judge Clark gave in favor of ,f Liverpool. •I afterward caught the train and I shall n never forget Mr. Dawsons surprise when 1 I told him on the platform— he did not stay to O see the race I had won. It was a funny y finish altogether, as Im afraid it quite finished Mr. Bruton. the owner of Prince Rupert, , and also Mr. Trewent, they having had a a "royal dash on their horse. Another funny part of the story was. I had not won a race * since Northampton, but had been obliged d to put up with second place over twenty y times. I was congratulated all round on riding i a fine finish, but it was nothing of the e sort. It was the other horse stopping that it had made mine win." . ▲ 1
