CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



Minister on a dead horse." Of course, the said 

 Bunny was Mr. Gerard Sturt, the racing confederate 

 of Sir Frederick Johnstone, and a man who had 

 well earned the character given of him by the 

 Prince of Wales (who at one time trained in the 

 Kingsclere stable with him), a character which 

 was substantially confirmed when, in 1894, the 

 Crichel bred colt Matchbox, a few days after 

 running second in the Derby, was sold for £15,000 

 to Baron Hirsch, and the vendor, keeping Throstle 

 in his own hands, beat the son of St. Simon in 

 the St. Leger with that rather flighty mare. It 

 would be interesting to know whether the Prince 

 ever referred to the incident of the Doncaster 

 bets when the forgiving Prime Minister in the 

 following year recommended Mr. Sturt for a 

 peerage ! 



Disraeli maintained an active interest in Lord 

 Bradford's stable. He followed its fortunes from 

 race to race. Born fifteen years after Disraeh, 

 Lord Bradford filled the offices of Lord Chamberlain 

 and Master of the Horse during Queen Victoria's 

 reign. In early life he formed a small stud at 

 Weston, which in course of time attained to some 

 size and celebrity. This was in the main due to 

 Quick March, a full sister of Vedette, from whom 

 he bred Manoeuvre (destined to breed a Derby 

 winner), Retreat and other good horses. From 

 other mares, also, he bred some very successful 

 animals, including Zealot and Quicklime, who ran 

 second to Shotover for the Derby of 1882. But 

 the best horse Lord Bradford owned in Disraeli's 

 lifetime was Chippendale. This colt, with his 

 dam Adversity, Lord Bradford purchased from 



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