“MILK!”

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1921, Page 10

“MILK!”

HOW A RACE WAS WON AND LOST. (By F. H., Kapuni.) I once* had a mate who was the best judge of a racehorse that ever trod in shoe-leather. Unfortunately his ability was unknown to anyone but himself, and I got the greatest surprise of my life when I first learned his worth. It happened like this. We ha<l been travelling round doing the races at the various centres of sport, and we finally landed in Stratford with about fifty quid between us. We took a walk down Broadway and then turned up one of the side streets, when a man driving a milk eart passed a few yards beyond us. The man called out, "Milk!” and the horse pulled up and the milkman dismounted with his milk can, and went to the back of some houses to serve his customers. While he was away my mate went up to the horse and began to examine it. I thought he had surely gone crazy, for it was not much of a horse to look at, and I took him by the arm and tried to lead him away from the horse. Then he turned on me and called me all the different kind of fools he could think of, and said I would not know a racehorse from a cow but for its horns, and ended up by saying that the milk cart horse we were looking at had the makings of the greatest racehorse in creation, and that we ought to buy it even if it left us broke.

Of course. I took no notice of his ravings, and walked slowly away, thinking he would follow me. Vvhen I. had gone some distance I looked back, and was surprised to see him talking ro the milkman, who had returned to his cart. As the milkman at last drove away, my mate came towards me. and told me that he had been questioning the milkman about the price he wculd take for his horse, but he had declined to sell at any price, as he did not have another horse to work in the milk cart. I was well satisfied to hear this, and I thought tlje matter settled, but half an hour later we again saw the same milk cart, and my mate left me and made straight towards it I was so disgusted that I went back to the hotel, where we were staying, and remained indoors for the rest of the afternoon. I should have explained before that we had always agreed that any expense incurred by either of us should be shared by both, so you may judge how surprised and vexed J was when about seven o'clock that evening my mate arrived home, leading a poor looking crock with a white stocking on his off foreleg, the very horse I had seen that day in a milk eart. My mate explained that he had followed the milkman all day on his rounds, and then chased after him as he drove homewards at a good pace. The milkman arrived at his home with my mate at his heels, and again my mate made various offers for the purchase of the milk horse. After a battle of words lasting a couple of hours the milkman agreed to accept £3O for the horse, no doubt thinking he was asking ten times its value, and my mate had snapped at the offer thinking he was being handed a gold mine. Now, my mate was full of plans for the future. I was to go back to work so as to provide oats and expenses for i our racehorse, while my mate was to ! lake it to a friend he knew who did a | little in the training business. My mate could ride, his friend would oblige with stabling accommodation, ar’ all I had to do was to pay expenses. Well, anything for jl quiet life., I knew it was no good arguing over the matter if we were to remain friends, so my mate went off with the horse to the training quarters. I sent a little money now and then to defray costs and considered the money thrown away, but after a time I received letters giving glowing accounts of the improvement in our horse, which we had named “Greyleg,” on account of his marking, and I was informed that he had been entered for one of the big handicaps at New Plymouth. I will not mention the name of the race, as there arc some people who would rather have that event forgotten. As the race meeting approached the letters and telegrams I received concerning Greyleg’s phenomenal speed increased in number. As Greyleg had received bottom weight in the big handicap I was told that the race was all over bar the shouting, and I was advised to back it at the long odds, which were then quoted, viz, 1000 to 1. About a week before the event 1 received a note from Robinson, the trainer, saying that Greyleg had been tried with the previous year's Derby winner, to which Greyleg had conceded thtee stone, and that' Greyleg had had won by a furlong. At the same time my mate sent another of his crazy epistles raving that if Greyleg only ran within 141bs of his trial, he could fall down three times in the race and then roll home.

Now I began to think from what the trainer said that Greyleg might have a good outside chance. ’ Although I did not believe all 1 wa’s told concerning him. J thought he might be worth a bet. but things had not been going too well with me of late, and I Had very little money to speculate. So, as the saying is, I sold, my socks, meaning mv bag of clothes and boots, and took what offers I could get from the proceeds at 1009 to 1. I kept just enough money for my train fare to the meeting of Greyleg to pay my exthe speed of Greyleg to. pay my expenses home again. Now there is no need to describe the race, because you have been told how fast Grey leg was, but as the horses lined up’ at the barrier for the big handicap I was rather excited because I realised that I was a racehorse o\yne?about to witness my own horse win a race. Suddenly there was a cry "They’re off!” but I could see little of the race from my position in, the crowd. Then someone asid, “What’s that in front ?” But nobody seemed to know. At the time of which I am speaking t’ne bookmakers were licensed, and I remember their roars during the race as thev lengthened their prices against the favorite. As the horses were coming round the back straight 1 .lumped on top of the rail, and I caught a sight of Greyleg cantering along about two ' chains in front of his field, and somei () ne remarked. "He'll go some when he ! begins to gallop!” . I Welk Greyleg entered the straight I alone and came tearing down toward--1 the judge’s box like greased lightening, j When he was about two strides from the winning post. 1 heard a , kid s squeaky voice call out, ’Milk! and ( I quicker than ho raced, Greyleg propped, j ; ; n( | thl . ;joe key Hew past the winnmg ; post without the horse. i You see this youngster had once been i cninloved driving Greyleg' on the milk . round, and when he recognised him on | the course he could not resist the im--1 pulse to yell the familiar call, and the j horse thought that his jockey had to uet off here to serve milk. Oh, yes.

Greyleg finished last, two strides behind the winner, and that, I think, is the closest the last horse has ever been behind the winner in a big handicap in this or any other country, so that after all Greyleg put up a record.