CHAPTER XXXVII 



THE FETISH OF NEWMARKET 



Perpetual Dullness — Hackneyed Praise — Fiction about King Edward — 

 A Friend buys a Property — Headquarters' Cliques — Mr Leopold 

 de Rothschild and St Amant's Derby — The Historic Thunder- 

 storm — A Friendly Rub Down — Santo Strato 



During eight weeks in the year racing journaHsts 

 have to visit Newmarket. There are moments when 

 we can kid ourselves into enthusiasm about what is 

 euphemistically known as " headquarters," but on 

 occasions Newmarket can be cursed as the dullest 

 place on God's earth. I have had a pretty consider- 

 able experience of this same Newmarket, and my 

 opinion is quite well worth having. I have passed 

 some of the most delightful times possible in the place, 

 and some of the dreariest which a man ever went 

 through. I am not one of those who begin a racing 

 article with a description of the weather or the 

 " Clerk of the Weather," " King Sol," '' Jupiter Plu- 

 vius " ; in fact, I have laid it down to my staff always 

 that these expressions were to be barred, as well as 

 such little phrases as '* fought like Trojans," " Dame 

 Fortune," and other hackneyed stupidities, when 

 writing on other topics. 



It is inevitable to refer to the " wonderful air " of 

 Newmarket. The late King Edward has been quoted 

 by many, including myself, as having given real 

 superlative praise to the gorgeous air of Newmarket : 

 and that is why — perhaps and perhaps not — he went 

 there so frequently. As a matter of fact King Edward 

 never said anything of the sort, so far as I can gather 



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