THE TURF 109 



market, instead of selling them, as has been 

 the case the last four or five years. 



The Duke of Portland has been a steady 

 and ever honourable patron of the English 

 turf; but his stud is now small. In fact, 

 since winning the Derby with Tiresias, in 

 1819, the tide of fortune appears to have 

 turned against his stable, and he has not 

 done much. His grace has, however, lately 

 shown himself a zealous advocate for pre- 

 serving the strength, stoutness, and vigour 

 of the English race-horse, which it is feared 

 has been on the decline, by the munificent 

 donation of three hundred pounds to a one 

 hundred guineas handicap-stakes, at New- 

 market, now called the ' Portland Handi- 

 cap ' ; distance, the last three miles of the 

 Beacon course. His Grace of Rutland has 

 become slack, nor, indeed, has his stable 

 brought out more than five horses the last 

 two years. He won the Derby with Cad- 

 land (whom he bred), after a dead heat 

 with the Colonel a circumstance previously 

 unknown for that great race and the Oaks 

 with Sorcery and Medora. On the other 

 hand, the Duke of Cleveland's passion for 

 the turf appears to grow with his years, <y his 



