CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



prospect of Lord Zetland winning the Two Thousand 

 with Vedette. 



In the days of his health, Derby was the life 

 and soul of a great race-meeting. He loved his 

 dinner at the Rooms at Newmarket. There his wit 

 and his anecdote had full play, and he ruled his 

 kingdom of the long dining-room without a rival. 

 So, too, at Epsom in Derby week. The rather 

 tall, slack-backed figure in curled-up hat, surtout 

 and large black stock was the life and soul of 

 the Stewards' Stand. " It was curious," writes 

 Greville, " to see Stanley. Who would believe 

 they saw the orator and statesman on whom the 

 destiny of the country perhaps depends ? There 

 he was, as if he had no thoughts but for the Turf, 

 eager, blunt, noisy, good-humoured. Thus can 

 a man relax whose existence is devoted to great 

 objects and serious thoughts."^ Whether the 

 stakes were high or low, Derby was equally keen 

 to win. He availed himself of every legitimate 

 advantage ; and if his information was better 

 than another's, so much the worse for the loser. 

 After all, it was the game. 



Derby trained his horses with John Scott at 

 Whitewall, and with fifty-four of them he won 

 upwards of £94,000 in stakes. There was no 

 more familiar figure on the greater race-courses 

 than Scott in his broad-brimmed hat, black coat, 

 drab knee-breeches and ample white neckcloth. 

 His knowledge of his business was complete, his 

 experience unequalled, and during his long life he 

 had known all the notables of the Worshipful 

 Company of the Turf. He died in his seventy- 



» Greville Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 383. 



34 



