CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



wager of £10,000 to £200. His confidence in the 

 filly's prospects increased, and the following day- 

 he took another bet of £10,000 to £300. The 

 turf market was strong in those times, for, 

 despite these large wagers made openly by the 

 owner, the mare started at the remunerative price 

 of 8 to I. The Derby winner of that year, Attila — 

 the hero of a famous midnight trial — was favourite, 

 but Blue Bonnet beat him out of a place, and won 

 cleverly by a length from Seahorse. She was 

 cruelly and unnecessarily punished by her jockey. 

 Lye, who had backed her heavily, and after this 

 treatment she was useless on the race-course. Lye 

 was never again employed by Dawson. 



In 1844 Lord Eglinton removed his horses from 

 Dawson and entrusted their training to Fobert. 

 Fortune continued to smile on the tartan colours, 

 and at this date Lord Eglinton's career on the 

 Turf was made by an extraordinarily lucky accident. 

 A mare named Barbelle had bred to the famous 

 Lanercost a brown colt. When a yearling Lord 

 Eglinton took it on trust, leaving its value to be 

 settled subsequently by Colonel Anson and Mr. 

 Charles Greville. These eminent stable authorities 

 of Whitewall and Danebury valued the colt at 

 £300, with a proviso that the purhaser should 

 pay £500 in addition if it won the Derby. Lord 

 Eglinton called his purchase Van Tromp. The 

 colt soon became a celebrity. He was an idle 

 horse requiring much work, but he had a fine 

 turn of speed. As a two-year-old he won valuable 

 races at Liverpool, Goodwood, and Doncaster. 

 In the Derby of 1847 — the last run over the old 

 course — for which he was heavily supported by 



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