 By chance, an otherwise undistinguished horse named "Shackles" proves to be unbeatable over two miles, "so long as his jockey sat still".His owner takes Shackles to the Autumn Races at the station of Chedputter "in the North", and insults almost everyone.They go to the Honorary Secretary and arrange a race to be called "The Broken-Link Handicap" because its purpose is to "break Shackles".