AN UNFORTUNATE RACING CAREER 27 



brought his fitful life to a close in the autumn of 1880 at 

 his town residence, Hill Street, Berkeley Square, after 

 suffering much pain, leaving a wife and son surviving. 



CHAPTER II. 



JOHN BAYNTON STARKEY, ESQ. 



The turf injured by foolish supporters Unaccountable disappearance 

 of Mr. Starkey's fortune Purchase of Viridis Disastrous defeat ; 

 ' save us from our friends ' Ownership of Fisherman and Leaming- 

 ton Aggregate winnings No large loser by racing or betting 

 Curious settlement of trainers' accounts Propensity to bet First 

 transaction with Mr. Pad wick How a debt of 22,000 was created 

 Another deal and its result Mr. Padwick as owner of Spye Park 

 Bound to ruin himself Other examples and their lesson Idio- 

 syncrasies; curious 'get-up'; mode of travelling ; delight in 'attend- 

 ing a toilet ' Personal experience of giving my name ; a ' tidy ' 

 practitioner His end, and sale of Spye Park. 



IN the previous chapter I have described the career of 

 one of the most successful men of his day upon the turf. 

 Now in turn, and by way of contrast, I may give a brief 

 outline of the life of one of the most unfortunate of those 

 who have ever had to do with racing. Yet in describing 

 Mr. J. B. Starkey as unfortunate, I must be careful to 

 say that he was the origin of all the trouble he brought 

 upon himself. 



In the racing community there exist two classes of 

 men, whose aims, though diametrically opposed, are yet 

 equally injurious to its true interests. The first class 

 comprises those impecunious adventurers and reckless 

 gamblers who, having nothing to lose but a thing, their 

 possession of which no one will ever discover character, 

 to wit stop at nothing that will bring ' grist to the mill.' 



