His Repartee Like Rapier Thrust.
With the sole object of encouraging the thoroughbred horse industry in the Province of Quebec, Lord Shaughnessy not only became a member of the then newly-formed Montreal Jockey Club, but also imported a fashionably-bred race mare. Although highly recommended this mare “Silk Hose” finished in most of her races a very bad last. In one when she had galloped past the stand probably thirty lengths behind the other starters, Charles M. Hays, then president of the G.T.R., who was standing beside Lord Shaughnessy, remarked, “That’s a fast mare you have, Shaughnessy.”
“Yes,” replied Lord Shaughnessy, “she’s about as fast as a Grand Trunk train.”
After her unsuccessful racing career, “Silk Hose” was placed in the stud. Her first foal, a filly named “Lisle Hose,” seemed to inherit the mother’s hoo-doo. She became ill as a yearling; was sick as a two-year-old, and the following season—died. The morning after she “kicked out,” Tom Callary, his secretary, told his lordship that he had bad news for him. “What is it?” he asked. “The trainer has just told me that the filly died last night—”
“That’s not bad news,” replied Lord Shaughnessy. “That’s good news; we won’t have to feed the blessed thing any longer, will we?”
When her second foal—this one a colt—became sick also as a two-year-old, and was thereby unable to race; and when, the following spring—unlike the maple trees—he did not show the least inclination to run, Lord Shaughnessy told Callary to do whatever he pleased with the colt. This colt, that had been named “Silk Bird,” eventually got to the races. Before the first start his secretary informed Lord Shaughnessy that he thought the colt had a good chance to win.
“What is it,” asked his lordship, “a walking race?”
He never could be persuaded to make a bet, remarking on one occasion “that he wouldn’t bet on that horse even if it were alone in the race.” And yet this colt, probably the best thoroughbred raised in the Province of Quebec, won, not only his first start but also nine or ten other races, including the King’s Plate of 1916. But the winnings of that season, that should have gone to recoup the losses sustained during the several lean years, were distributed under his Lordship’s direction, to the hospitals and charitable institutions most in need at the time. Many people must have wondered when they saw the name “Silk Bird” amongst the lists of subscribers, more especially as the contributions were rather “hefty.” And then to cap all, and, as it were, to make it unanimous, his Lordship gave away the colt.
As I stated previously, Lord Shaughnessy absolutely refused to bet on the chances of his colt, but there were employees by the score who backed “the C.P.R. horse,” (as he was known throughout the country) at every start. And as he won with prices ranging against him from “evens” to as high as forty-to-one, his supporters, unlike his owner, came out well ahead. No better indication could be had of the loyalty to, and affection for, “the big boss,” than by the manner in which all those under his Lordship pulled so whole-heartedly and so consistently, in good years and in bad, for the success of the Shaughnessy colors—old gold and scarlet—whenever and wherever they appeared on the Canadian tracks. On race days the secretary was bombarded with telephone calls from vice-presidents right down to call boys, enquiring as to the colt’s chances, his condition, the name of the jockey, etc., etc. But Lord Shaughnessy knew nothing of this very important feature of his secretary’s duties.