TURFIANA.

No. III.

"If thou dost play with him at any game

Thou'rt sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,

He beats thee 'gainst the odds !-Thy lustre thickens
When he stands by."

ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA.

Come, Come; deal justly with me. Come, come; nay, speak." "What should we say, my lord ?"

In the number of our Magazine for February (see p. 137) we stated that our limits would not then" allow us to bring onr hasty sketch of the first branch of the subject (the Defaulters, &c.) to a conclusion; " and we were compelled to "adjourn the session" at the period of the Doncaster St. Leger for 1835 to another time. That time now presents itself and we shall proceed with a subject the treatment of which by us, we have reason to believe has been received with interest and attention by those competent to judge of its truth, usefulness, and potency. It is not our intention to drop the matters connected with the turf-hastily or inconsiderately-for we purpose, in the course of our future numbers, time and occasion permitting, to take a dispassionate review of the patrons and high supporters of the turf,-the trainers and their head agents connected with it-the jockies that sway men's destinies on it-the constitution and character and influence of the jockey club and its laws, (with suggestions for the useful, equitable, and effective extension of the latter)-of the judges elected for the important decisions (in the turf exchequer)-—of the system of private * Qu. Metal! Printer's Devil.

trials as far as trainers-jockies-owners and the public are concerned, - of commissioners, touts, and turf-trickery in its "lowest deeps,"of Mr. Wetherby and his ill-compiled works, and of Tattersalls and ts yard of betters! The subject is in its vast capacity full of matter for "wide solution" and acute speculation, and we shall hope to make the 1st of each month "our settling day," on some particular head. We know the horses-we know the men-and we know something of the turf contrivances; and it will be our wilful fault if we do not make past, and not " coming events, cast their shadows before!" That dear antique toddling specimen of a trainer, old Edwards, (a character which is now almost become obsolete,) commanded the year 1836. With the exception of Brown of Lewes and perhaps John Smith of the North-Forth, (silver-haired, fresh hued Forth) of Sussex -and the Piemun-I know not where we are to find the simplelooking-dwarf'd aged trainers, who stood with heavy stick in hand behind the fleet one's heels, and rowed the lad into a more active whisp of the glowing skin,-or told him, ex cathedrá, to "go to the colt's head," at the stable hour when the owner came to look at his costly toy. Sykes-Tommy Sykes complained of Mr. Gully banishing him in his old age to the Hambledon Hills to train a southern horse— Mameluke,--and yet we saw him watch the hind quarters of that splendid animal with a smile of approval which seemed cut in steel on his visage! Old Robson-the patron of the Grafton stud-used to follow his blood and blood-like flock into the paddock at Epsom-or to the courses at Newmarket-like a shepherd tending his lambs in some quiet moor-solitude: so placid, so pleasant, and so true was his expression. Dick Shepherd was not old enough to have arrived at this exquisite quietude of manner, but he was taciturn, a fine commencement—had he not been cut off in the bloom of a youth of 50 or 60. Old Edwards was quiet, out of his cups, to such an extent, as to render the shadow of a hint, a positive colour;-and from this placitude. arose the division in his cabinet;-each lad trying at exercise for facts;-sons separating in cunning and commissions—fraternal vexations and distrusts,-wife-comfort-confidences, and in fact great Jersey-annoyances! When the old man, however, did deliver a judgment openly, fearlessly, and simply,—it was, though not so distinguished for masterly eloquence or matchless reasoning as the decisions of Lord Stowell, (the educated-Edwards of the consistorial court) as simple, profound, and conclusive. He spoke as all real judges of weight should speak-after public trial;-and when that decision could by possibility be brought collaterally to bear upon any future event-it was worth its weight in gold. Middleton, an infirm horse, would never have come to the post, it may be safely asserted, under any other management than that of the careful old man. In Scott's

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hands he would probably have stood until within a fortnight or three weeks of the event; and then he would have achieved a trial-miracle -and retained a lame leg. William Chifney would have rattled him into a thousand pieces in less than no time, by the unsparing severity of his system—and Marson would probably have permitted the hard ground at Epsom to do that which he had been so carefully avoiding at Newmarket. Middleton was nursed for the day, and carried his pail of water (carelessly left it is supposed within his reach,) – right round Tottenham corner and triumphantly up to the winning postand never ran again. This was judicious plastering of an infirm edifice to meet the eye of the judicial bricklayer, Mr. Clarke. Robinson shewed his quickness of suspicion by expressing a sly surprise at the distention of the animal, when he was girthing on the saddle before starting. Bay Middleton was an especial favourite with the old man—and the twinkle of the eye of this venerable and careful trainer on the evening before the race ought to have “ picked out the winner," in the mind of any one who had a thought to throw at a horse. The Derby over-in Edwards's mind the St. Leger was over also. Elis ran Bay Middleton to a head for the 2,000 gs. stakes—and Elis must be first at Doncaster, or he had no right to have been where he was at Newmarket; Elis won the St. Leger easily-having been the first noble animal that travelled in his own carriage and four, since the days of Sovereign in 1816-whose carriage, however, was an accomplished work by Herring. But I am diverging. The death of old Edwards however could not silently be passed over when Bay Middleton was under notice-even though his proper place ought to have been in the intended future paper on the trainers.

This year of Bay Middleton and Elis was extremely severe to the Scott-party (although slightly alleviated by Cyprian, not usually a profitable connexion with any man)—for Gladiator was aggravated into a very kill-devil,-and terrified even Lord Jersey on the day-who ought to have had better nerve. Had we been the owners of Bay Middleton, well at the hour, with a full knowledge of his amazing powers, we should, as the Americans would say, "have looked steelfilings at any one asking us to hedge-and gone tarnation-eternally away from the ring and human nature—until that mighty whipper old Clark had said his damn'dest to all the rest!" The earl, however, hedged at 7 to 4.-Hedge Bay Middleton!-oh! it was making the Derby the Craven stakes! How well the beautiful language o Shakspeare fits the earl—

"Be it oblivion,

—or some Craven scruple,

Of thinking too precisely on the event;

A thought, which, quarter'1, hath but one part wisdom,

And, ever, three parts coward-I do not know

Why yet I live to say, this thing's to do!"

And the fear of the Gladiator too! Before the race the noble earl might prophetically have exclaimed in the double sense of the poeta

"I see before me the Gladiator lie;

his brow

Consents to death, yet conquers agony,
And his droop'd head sinks gradually low;
And through his side, the last drops, ebbing flow
From the red gash, fall heavy one by one,

Like the first of a thunder shower; and now
The arena swims around him, he is gone

Ere ceas'd the inhuman shout which hail'd the wretch who won !"

The Derby was not so disastrous in its results on the great-unbreeched -as the St. Leger was; for Bay Middleton had won the Riddlesworth and 2,000gs. two public proofs of goodness, which nothing but rabid folly, or glove-going vice, could stand against. To be sure a bit of hay in the throat, a day or two before the race, spelled up a reach at a cough-which blighted the hopes and books of many who expected and intended the best,-and encouraged those "hardy annuals" that invariably appear in the parterre at Tattersalls, and either blossom on the settling day, or scatter their final leaves !-according to the temperature of the event. One great north country sportsman found that Lord Jersey could "show his eyes, and grieve his heart,"—and having himself originally come like a shadow - he did "so depart!" Several small boats broke loose on the great stream-but this-as the Thames accounts invariably prove-is usual in stormy hours. The solid vessels weather the tempest-when the lighter-men go down!

Scroggins was this same year to win the St. Leger, beyond the chance of error-and Elis was in the south at an unusually late period of the autumn. The Scotts again-unlike the Eldon race of old—had a great party and all promised comfort, luxury, and conviviality,when Lord Lichfield stept in between the cup and the lip, and "broke up the meeting, with most admired disorder!" After exacting a book on his horse to the tune of 10,0001.-as the terms on which Elis was to go northwards—at a late hour,-up drew the van-down whisked the horse-out walked he on to the paddock at the late Mr. Bowe's.—In he went first at the race, in the opinion of Mr. Lockwood and all others, and Scroggins was declared to be second. Excellent well!That admirable creature Bee's-wing allowed this situation to the pet of the Scotts, not choosing to be a profitless maid of all work! -The small fry, which play in such numbers about the shallows of the Malton stables, were sadly scattered during the disturbance of the moment,but, like the minnows and stickle-backs of all streams, they speedily returned to the old spots to swarm as fussily and look out for fresh baits. We do not know of any things alive so numerous as the small

Will.

fry-betters shoaling on the edges of the great Scott-river! Scott, who is "the Triton of the Minnows," loves to catch them with a landing net. He is fond of the sport-and an admirable fisherman!

It is to be feared that our delectable friend Waggy, who exerted himself with suicidal zeal, to get the amount of bets made up, required by Elis's noble owner-over-strained his book—and became a martyr to his own wilful generosity. He is, however, a natural-born fighterlike Jack Randall or Dutch Sam (" both in Arthur's bosom !")—and he will take the liberty of revisiting a field, from which others would have made a Corunna retreat,-and he will persevere, over all disasters, in search of success

"For freedom's battle, once begun,
Bequeath'd by bleeding sire to son,
Though baffled oft, is ever won!"

And Waggy-though perhaps he bleeds less freely than the usual heroes who fight for liberty-will, like Steady," be first in the throng." He ought not to go." Oh we could better spare a better man." He has a deal of strong coarse dowlas fun about him, which covers one all over with enjoyment even as it were a pilot coat; and his power of countenance and lungs is wonderfully expressive and prominent. It is worth going two hundred miles in any of Murphy's worst days, to hear him descant upon the subject of Crockford in general-or a sporting man of fashion in particular.

The year 1836 will be memorable in the minds of those interested in turf matters, as being the one that effectively introduced the system of vanning or carrying race horses from one distant point of the country to another,—a system which has been now generally adopted by those who desire to carry on the exciting competition with a fair chance against their antagonist. If an animal can now be kept upon his own good exercise-ground to a late moment-which he now safely can behe can be charmed by four posters to the course he is destined for, when all his hard work is over-and the day's or two days' travelling is but healthful and valuable rest. It used to be proverbial that a south country horse had no chance for the great stakes in the north,and certainly the fate of Mr. Udney's Tarandus-Mr. Batson's SerabLord Egremont's Chateau Margaux-Lord Exeter's Redgauntlet— Lord Wharncliffe's Dragon, and numerous others, would appear to bear out the truth of the proverb. The long journey from Ascot or Newmarket to Doncaster,-the perils of the road-the leg-weariness of travel-the change of stables, of air, corn, and water—the hurried work to make up for time lost in the long daily walks; all these directed their attacks against the constitution and condition of that hot-house plant the race horse and we cannot be surprised that so

NO. XCVI.-VOL. XVI,

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