THE PROGRESS OF THE SPORT. 43 



Horses had followers who, partly from lack of information, 

 partly from some remnant of feudal sentiment, pinned their 

 faith to the man and horse who represented their own district 

 or country. Gangs of Tykes would always follow a Yorkshire 

 horse to Newmarket ; and this esprit de corps doubtless still 

 exists, and still manifests itself whenever two rivals from the 

 North and South, foemen worthy of each other, meet in the 

 lists at Epsom or Doncaster ; though this spirit has not been 

 sharply stirred since Apology won the St. Leger. A more 

 favourable climate, and the fact of Newmarket with its hundreds 

 of horses being situated in the South, supply the chief causes 

 which have militated against the success of the Northern 

 division, though the annual sales at Doncaster and till very 

 recently at York prove that breeding is carried on with as 

 much energy as ever. 



It was not till about 1840 that horses were conveyed by 

 rail, and up to a certain date Derby winners, if trained in the 

 south, had to encounter the various perils of a walk to Don- 

 caster when about to take part in the Leger. Witness the case 

 of Plenipotentiary, who was first favourite for that race, and 

 whose private training quarters were in the neighbourhood of 

 Saffron Walden. Touchstone won and Plenipo' was nowhere. 

 Much unpleasant feeling was created, and Mr. Batson, than 

 whom no more honourable man existed, was the butt of 

 every scribbler of the day. He never deigned to answer the 

 allegations made against him, but it is stated on good autho- 

 rity that when Plenipo' left Horseheath, he was as fit as hands 

 could make him, and it was not till long after that the secret 

 of this sudden deterioration oozed out. While passing through 

 Saffron Walden he was frightened by a van or cart, and 

 bounding on to a stone-slabbed footpath some feet higher than 

 the road, he slipped and fell back. As he rose apparently un- 

 injured, his attendant, fearing reproof, said no word of the 

 mishap for some months, by which time Mr. Batson had been 

 roundly accused of being guilty of foul play. We may add that 



