Читать книгу Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit онлайн

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Lord Wm. Beresford’s Fenian Captain Candy. Mr. Herbert’s Mephistopheles Owner. Mr. Mackenzie’s Black Bess Captain McCalmont. Mr. Green’s Tommy Nodd Captain Clayton. Mr. Wheeler’s The Nigger Owner.

The Fenian won by a length, Mr. Herbert’s Mephistopheles second. An Irish account of this race was very Irish. I give it verbatim: “Betting 6 to 4 on Mephistopheles, 5 to 4 against Fenian, was a most curious affair throughout. Mr. Herbert on Mephistopheles was winning in a canter, but on the end of the enclosure (paddock presumably) showed a great disposition to bolt, and a great desire to follow the Nigger, who had been pulled up and was returning home by a short cut to the enclosure gate. Mephistopheles suddenly stood still next the palings to follow the Nigger in, and the Fenian came up in time before Mr. Herbert could get his horse going again, and gained the verdict, amid much excitement, by a length.”

Judging by the rather curious account Mephistopheles ought to have won, but refused to play the game, giving the Fenian an opportunity his rider was not slow to take advantage of. But then it is just those off-chances that constitute the excitement and uncertainty of racing.