He walked across the ring and joined Mr Dauntsey and Dr Tom. The horses were passing in the preliminary canter with Target leading.
'That's Chris Shaw's horse,' said Dr Tom. 'I trust you will lower those colours like you did at Swamp Creek.'
'I have just left Mr Shaw and he hopes the same thing,' said Jim.
'Surely he has no desire to be beaten,' said Mr Dauntsey.
'He wants me to win,' said Jim. 'He has promised to let me have Cudgegong for twelve thousand down, and said he hoped Grey Bird would win, so that I could take it off his hands.'
'They are a rum lot, these Shaws,' was Dr Tom's comment.
'Here we are! By Jove, look at him! What a horse! Willie sits him as firm as a rock,' said Mr Dauntsey as Grey Bird swept past amidst a murmur of admiration from the crowd.
'No horse went better,' said Jim, as the last of the eighteen runners galloped past.
'I have a spare fiver,' said Dr Tom, 'I'll risk a bit more,' and away he went into the ring. 'I had a job to get a hundred to five,' he said on his return. 'He will start at a shorter price than that. I heard Chris Shaw back him.'
Mr Dauntsey also stood to win a fair amount, and thought it nothing derogatory to his position to do so.