Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
HE RAN LIKE LIGHTNING

racing events for which that great conti-
nent of the British empire Is famous. Some
of the contests between the equine giants
of the antipodes were exciting affairs; but
none of them, not even the running of the
great Melbourne CUP race, possesses in re-
trospection so weird an interest for me as
the recollection Of the extraordinary series
of wins of the horse Ampere. all of which
l witnessed. None Of the gentlemen pres
ent, 1 take it, ever heard the true story as
to this marvellous horse-indeed, when 1t all
came out the few of us who were on the
inside of the secret agreed to keep mum
about it. for the sake of preventing what
would unquestionably have been a terrific
turf scandal. But as 1t all happened-er-
eight-lets see, was 1t eight?-no nine
years ago think it will be safe for me to
tell you the bottom facts as to the success
of this phenomenal horse Ampere.
Il saw Ampere run his first race. He was
entered at Melbourne as a ffve-year-Old
turfmen racing at Melbourne had ever
heard of him before, nor had his owner,
tall, dark. gioomy-looking Englishnaan, been
known by anybody on the Australian turf
before he arrived at the Melbourne track
with his one horse, the cold-bred Ampere.
and deaf and dumb lad for whom the
owner got q jockeys license. There was
considerable mystery In the manner OF the
owner of the horse. He stabbed the animal
in a small shed away from all the other
thoroughbreds nor would he permit any of
the men around the barns to have look
at the horse in his stall. He was looked
upon as an eccentric who would stand no
fooling. and so nobody had any line on Am
pere until the horse went to the post for
the first time. Then it was seen that the
brute was nobly built. thoroughbred In
every line of him, even If his breeding did
not appear In the stud book. He was enter
ed for a mile and half race, and there had
been considerable talk about the mysterious
horse and especially about the way his
cIn VII
that lot of the shrewd ones-need / say
that 1 was among that number?-went into
the betting ring and freely accepted the
90 to that was offered by the bookmakers
against the chances of the unknown brute.
after putting my bet down on Ampere
/ was naturally interested In the appear
ance OF the horse as he went to the post.
As / say, he WAS q magnificent looking
specimen, as doctle, apparently, as kitten;
yet there was certain jerkiress, as OF an
automaton. about his leg-action that did
not render me enthusiastic over his
chances. and was half sorry that had
bet on him. like horse that is full of
life at the post, and that Frances around
with a do-or-die manner about him. This
Ampere horse stood at the post like a
statue, awaiting the fall Of the flag, and
when there were five or six false breaks
he never 50 much as put a leg forward. I
felt confident the horse was dopey or some
thing and that he would never get away
from the post. His owner, the tall, dark,
gloomy-loohng Englishman. was standing
right beside me.
Your horse will be left standing fiat
footed ] said to him.
He gave me slow, quiZZical smile.
Don't worry. my friend from the
states he said. quietly. 1T makes no diff
ference whether he is left or not-he'n win
by furiong
II was sizing the man up, wondering If
he We're touched in the head-piece. when
the cry, They're off" rang around the
grounds.
YafE ut 49,,
that Immediately followed 1t was even
so. There stood Ampere, rigid as a block
OF wood, not one leg put forward, while all
the rest of the field were a hundred yards
away from the post, turning the first bend.
"A mpere is dog! said 1, wrathily,
starting to tear up my ticket
DO not be quite so precipitate' said
the owner of the horse who was still
standing beside me, with that queer smile
on his face. 1t IS walkover for Ampere
There he goes'
Il looked, and there was Ampere flying
for the first bend like a machine. with the
most colossal stride ever saw a race horse
take. and moving down the lead of the
neld out In front as if all the other horses
were tied He still had that jerky, auto
matte leg-action that I had noticed as he
Went to the post, but, head-hunting POLY
nesians! how that jerky, automatic leg
acton did take him over the groundl He
was good furlong out of the race when
ne Jumped away from the post, yet before
the horses had got half way around the
back stretch he was only ten or a dozan
lengths in the rear and gafnipg ~ 80,
jump.
This said Ampere's mysterious ownsr
stu wearing that quizzicai smile of his, ia
only canter for Ampere.'
Yes, said /. nervously, but can the
Won t he stop?
least a furlong' ~ a.
The tall, dark, gloomy-lookfng owner Of
h.
pack stretch Ampere passed the other
horses as IL they were hitched. he saBed
INTO the stretch with his immensely long.
1erky. automatic stride before any Of tSa
others had made the bend, and he romned
under the wire, pulled to a walk, a good
tur!ong ahead Of the leader among the
tlred brutes behind him. The queer AMI
NAL didn't appear to be even winded after
his extraordinary race, which clipped eight
seconds off the worlds record for a mile
ana half, and when the deaf and dumb
Jockey pulled him up the horses sides were
not even heaving. Indeed, the brute stood
like a statue when the lad jumped off him
TO weigh out, and when the lad took his
bride to lead him into the paddock the
or Dtute looked SO quiet and dreamy that the
little chap had to stroke his neck before
ne would follow. Then he stepped out
walking slowly, in that jerky way of his,
and seemed to be entirely oblivious Of
lhe tremendous cheering that rewarded his
BILE victory. 1 cashed the ticket for
the 10000 sovereigns which / Won on Am
pere with quite natural satisfaction. con-
GLIDING at the same time to bet on the
horse every time he ran as long as 1 re-
manned in Australia
Gentlemen. l will not weary you by a
recital of the long series of victories won
by Ampere in quick succession I will re-
fer you to any Australian turf guide for
such recapitulation. 1t suff1ces to say
that he won every big event on the Austria
Ian turf for three months. racing on every
racing day, that he was never beaten; that
he made caterpillars of the greatest stake
horses in Australia, and that he clipped
every record, from six furlongs to four
miles. with consummate ease, winning
pulled up every time, and never being so
much as out Of breath at the conclusion of
the most grueling races. I won several
hundreds OF thousands of pounds on Am
pere before the bookmakers declined to
put any further price on the brute, on ac-
count of his extraordinary prowess so that
IL naturally saddened me to make the dis
covery with reference to the horse which
/ am about to reveal to you.
THE last race that Ampere ever ran was
at two and half miles, for the Colonial
Cup AS at the start of his first race. he
was left hat-footed at the post, but again
he caught UP with his field, ran them off
their legs. and won by quarter of mile.
But when the horse passed under the wire
winner. he seemed to be wound up There
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