THE FETISH OF NEWMARKET 



between the late King and Mr Rothschild and also 

 between King Edward and the owner of Moulton 

 Paddocks. The wills of kings are private documents 

 not given to the nation, but to my certain knowledge 

 there were certain bequests and requests which Sir 

 Ernest alone had to carry out. 



We used to see the King very frequently at the 

 spring and autumn meetings. He would always wear 

 his favourite soft felt hat, known in recent years as a 

 Homburg hat. In the two July meetings he would 

 wear a hat of the same shape in panama, and garb 

 himself in light flannels, and would sit revelling in the 

 sunshine which is the usual luck of July meetings. 

 He did not walk about so much on the summer course 

 as he did in the spring and autumn. One looked upon 

 him in the paddock as an ordinary owner, yet an extra- 

 ordinary being. Such is the unwritten law of New- 

 market that if one of those who was unknown to him 

 almost rubbed shoulders, it was not fitting to recognise 

 him ; in fact, it was his delight not to be troubled by 

 any hat-lifting from strangers. And although such 

 a stickler for punctilio he never demanded any super- 

 recognition from his friends. At Epsom it was 

 different, but even there it was remarkable how those 

 known to him would be summoned to speak to him ; 

 these would in effect be like members who catch the 

 Speaker's eye. Of course there is an enormous amount 

 of tradition about Newmarket, the township situated 

 in two counties. One side of the High Street is in 

 Cambridgeshire and the other in Sussex. I think it is 

 greatly owing to the importance of the various stables 

 installed there, and the wonderful way in which the 

 gallops are maintained, that Newmarket keeps up that 

 astonishing reputation. On one occasion I have heard 

 a young trainer rail against the gallops at headquarters. 



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