DANEBURY AND LORD GEORGE BENTINCK 



The Grand National is the classic steeplechase, 

 and on the Danebur}^ ground was schooled Mani- 

 festo, who was twice victorious and became the 

 idol of the Aintree public. In 1908 Rubio and 

 Mattie Macgregor were first and second for the 

 great race over the Liverpool country, and were 

 trained for this engagement by Mr. Withington — 

 then the tenant of Danebury — a gentleman of 

 deserved popularity, a fine horseman, and an 

 accomplished master of his craft. 



Danebury will always be associated with the 

 name of Lord George Bentinck. Despite the 

 literary charm with which Disraeli has drawn his 

 character as a politician, it is as one of the most 

 astute and imperious personalities of the racing 

 world that he will be remembered in the history 

 of the English Turf. Bentinck, bom in 1802, was 

 the second son of the Duke of Portland. He was 

 bred to race, for his father had won the Derby 

 in 1819 with Tiresias. In early life he was for 

 three years private secretary to his uncle, Mr. 

 Canning, when Foreign Secretary and Leader of 

 the House of Commons. In the service of the 

 eminent statesman he made the acquaintance of 

 the Duke of York, whom he had greatly impressed 

 by his knowledge of racing affairs and whose 

 race-horses were managed by Charles Greville, 

 Clerk of the Privy Council. His Royal Highness 

 rewarded his young friend with a majority in the 

 loth Hussars. Two years later Bentinck became 

 Member for Lynn, and in 1833 started a racing 

 stud at Danebury, entering and running his horses 

 sometimes in the name of his trainer, John Day, 

 and sometimes in the name of his cousin, Greville. 



65 E 



