376 RACEALONG 



and Nonsuch was a favorable resort of Queen Eliza- 

 beth, where she had her memorable disputation with 

 the Earl of Essex. 



When the gallants of those days heard of the wells 

 through the Court doctors they started the races so 

 far back as 1648, and on a lot of the old-prized silver 

 tankards there will be found engravings depicting 

 many of the scenes on the course. 



A little higher up reference was made to the Blue 

 Ribbon of the Turf. This phrase was invented by 

 the Earl of Beaconsfield. Lord George Bentinck had 

 sold his stud and found, to his vexation, that one of 

 his horses, SurpHce, which Disraeli had purchased, 

 won the Derby a few months afterwards. Bewailing 

 his ill luck, he said to Disraeh, "Ah, you don't know 

 what the Derby is." "Yes, I do," replied Disraeli, '*it 

 is the Blue Ribbon of the Turf." 



The annals of the Derby, it must be confessed, fur- 

 nished many a dramatic argument to those who de- 

 plore the betting evil. The Derby of 1867 was long 

 remembered for the reckless plunging of the Marquis 

 of Hastings, the wildest blue-blooded gambler of the 

 mid-Victorian era. He laid thousands of pounds 

 against Hermit, and stood to lose over £100,000 in 

 the event of that animal winning. 



Hermit's victory at 66 to 1 compelled the Marquis 

 to sell his magnificent estate of Loudoun in Scotland, 

 and bring himself almost to beggary. At the next 

 Derby the spendthrift nobleman was hooted as a de- 

 faulter. Before the year closed he died broken in 

 mind and body. 



