34 FAMOUS RACINa MEN. 



ever run over Doncaster course. Sir Peter's daughters generally 

 bred well, and the cross between one of them and her sire 

 resulted in " an excellent Yorkshire whip's horse." The earl's old 

 groom, Storey, by the way, was quite a character, and a legend 

 still lingers at Knowsley that when he was told that the Prince of 

 Wales had come to the paddock he sturdily replied, " Then he may 

 wait until I've done ')ny dinner ! " The portrait of this " Down- 

 right Shippon " is preserved in the picture in the Knowsley dining- 

 room, which is now matched by Longbow and his groom, from Mr. 

 Harry Hall's hand, and a plain flat stone, near the boxes, with the 

 simple words, " Sir Peter," marks where the earl's old favourite lies. 

 Sir Peter Teazle was the sire of more winners than any other 

 •horse on the turf, and so rapidly did his reputation increase that 

 his fee was increased to 30 guineas. In 1794 his stock began to 

 show its superlative excellence, and the sporting world rang with 

 his fame. Even across the Atlantic breeders were roused into 

 enthusiasm by the record of his successes. American turfites were 

 anxious to secure so successful a sire, and the American Consul, 

 through the late Dr. Brandreth, oftered the Earl 7,000 guineas for 

 Sir Peter, but his lordship with a smile declined the offer, saying, 

 " Had I been disposed to part with Sir Peter I have already been 

 offered 10,000 guineas for him." Unfortunately, however, for the 

 reputation of this famous horse he was continued as a stallion until 

 too far advanced in years, for whilst his early stock were in the first- 

 class of racers, the progeny of his later days were sadly deficient in 

 all that goes to make a good racehorse. And no wonder, for he was 

 thirty years old when he died, and " served " to the last. It has 

 been said that Lord Derby's triumphant turf superiority began and 

 ended with Sir Peter Teazle, but this can hardly be accepted as a 

 true statement. The earl won many good races with other horses. 

 He made his debut on the turf at Manchester in 1776, and followed 

 the sport keenly for nearly sixty years, being a liberal supporter of 

 all the Lancashire race-meetings, and especially Preston, which 

 he always attended with a numerous and imposing retinue, the 

 most prominent feature being a large family coach drawn by six 

 superb horses. At Epsom his lordship was successful at the first time 

 of trying, and had the satisfaction of seeing his filly, Bridget, by 

 King Herod, defeat a field of eleven, and enrol her name at the 

 head of what has since become the long list of winners of the Oaks. 

 His lordship won the Oaks a second time with Heroine, in 1794, 

 but, as we have already stated, he only once succeeded in winning 

 the great race which bears his name. At the time of his death, and 

 for some years before that event, Lord Derby was the Father of the 

 Jockey Club, at whose councils he had been a regular attendant for 

 something like fifty-eight years. The earl's colours before the 

 year 1787 were green and white, but as there were two other noble- 

 men using the same badge, he changed his to the black and white 

 cap, in which his horses ever afterwards ran. 



