LORD EXETER 117 



and often with no chance of doing so whatever. Except 

 on one occasion with the Duke of Portland, I never 

 knew his dividing a stake after a dead-heat, no matter 

 whether the tie had been, so far as his horse was con- 

 cerned, due to the merest accident, and the odds any- 

 thing against his winning the deciding event. 



Lord Exeter's retirement from the turf, in 1866, was 

 reported to be in consequence of the heavy loss he 

 sustained in making the Essendine Eailway from Peter- 

 borough to Stamford. He sold his horses privately to 

 Mr. Padwick. It was through the latter I became 

 possessed of some of them, the best of which were 

 Blue Rock and Flying Duchess, afterwards sold to Lord 

 Anglesey. She was in my stud at Alvediston, and ulti- 

 mately became the dam of Galopin, as I have related. 

 But I omitted to say that I bought Slue Bock as un- 

 broken, but afterwards learned that he had been ridden, 

 and turned out again. I do not for a moment suppose 

 his lordship knew of this, or that he had any recollection 

 of it if he did. But others could not have been ignorant 

 of the fact, and should have made it known, particularly 

 the trainer. But it was so, and I discovered it on his 

 arrival at Woodyates by the saddle-marks, which could 

 be seen quite plainly. 



I purchased the whole of Lord Exeter's property at 

 Newmarket of his agent, Mr. John Francis Clarke, for 

 11,000, for Mr. Simpson, the banker at Diss, and owner 

 of the breeding stud of that name. A curious circum- 

 stance occurred on my doing this in the following way : 

 I bid Mr. Clarke 9,000 for it, the price asked being 

 10,000; but, as a friend, he advised me, if I really 

 wanted to buy it, to give the price at once ; for, he 

 added, ' Lord Exeter is such a curious man to deal with, 

 he may say he won't sell it at all, or else put the figure 



