FLYING FOX AND HIS PECULIARITIES.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 112, 12 May 1900, Page 3 (Supplement)

FLYING FOX AND HIS PECULIARITIES.

(From the Sporting Times.) Flying Fox is a "horse of the century." Of that there can be no doubt. Being a horse of the century, he is different to. other horses, and in the uands of those who are not well acquainted with him, he might, for racing purposes at any rate, become almost worthless. Even now he likes his mouthful, and is not particular whether it is from the man on his back, the horse that is leading him in his work, or from the green grass. In the middle of a strong gallop he will at times take a snatch at the herbage, and woe to the unwary jocky, as unless he is quick and lets the rein run through his fingers, he will pull him over his head, a thing that has happened more than once. With a horse like thia a very little might make him "go" in his temper as his Sire Orme did, and we believe his dam is not much better. . . . The story of the "wonder" is a simple one. He was thought to be nothing •out of the common when in training, and he was not spoken of as the finest yearling that ever was seen, but a different rale was told when he was tried. For the first time we have* heard how it came about that he was beaten in the Middle-park Plate. The "wind" theory we always scouted. The horse at the time was very shin sore and ought not to have run. This in reality was his only defeat, as at Kempton it was palpable that he ought to have won, and surprise was expressed when his number did not go up. Though not to the eye a big horse, one who has been on his back tells us that he is different to all other horses he ever rode, and that he is so thick through the heart that horses that are bigger telt as ponies when he crossed them in comparison. "How far would he win the Cesarewitch with 6st on his back?" we asked. "He would not win at all," was the reply ; "he would take no notice of his jockey and stop and eat grass." In his slow paces he is a shambling goer, and lurches along with one shoulder apparently projecting before the other^ He is a very masterful animal, and Jjas pulled many a lad who has prided himself on his riding over his head. Great as were his public performances, they were nothing as compared to his private trials. . . A peculiarity of Flying Fox is that he can fttand straight on end of his hind legs longer than any other horse, playing the castanets beaui tifully with his forcfetft the while. We were invited not to cheer whilst he was in the ring for fear of exciting him, and there was a dan^eioiis moment when he I stood on his l.i.id leys ;md m* n foie-lec 1 over Ihe I'ndhifc 1 oiu. Tlie hu" v.ho held j it had senie enough to at once drop it. I otherwise we mieht have seen something.