106 FAMOUS RACING MEN. 



hundreds of thousands by Kingcraft's victory. Fortunately the 

 scoundrels were satisfied to disable and not kill the horse, for the 

 name of Macgregor has become famous as a sire, and there are 

 not wanting those who swear by him as a second Stockwell. Sun- 

 shine, in the same year, was reckoned as great a certainty for the 

 Oaks as Macgregor for the Derby, but she, it was believed, was 

 also tampered with, and could only get second. Mr. Merry's for- 

 tunes on the turf culminated in 1873, when he won the Derby 

 with Doncaster and the Oaks and St. Leger with Marie Stuart. 

 Satisfied with thus crowning the long list of his triumphs with 

 three such glorious victories, and finding his health failing, Mr. 

 Meny determined to retire from the turf, and at the close of 1875 

 his stud was brought to the hammer. His horses in training 

 realized 7,360 guineas at Tattersall's, but the two "cracks," Don- 

 caster and Marie Stuart, were sold privately, the former to Robert 

 Peck (who had three years previously been installed as trainer at 

 Russley), for 10,000 guineas, and the latter to Mr. W. Stirling 

 Crawford for 3,500 guineas. A fortnight later, Doncaster was 

 sold to the Duke of Westminster for 14,000 guineas, which still, 

 we believe, remains the largest price ever given for a racehorse. 

 Four years later, on the 3rd of February, 1877, Mr. ]Merry died 

 at his town house in Eaton Square, in the seventy-second year 

 -of his age. In 1859 he had been returned without a contest as 

 member for the Falkirk Burghs, and in spite of all eiibrts to 

 oust him, kept his seat till he retired, a few months only before 

 his death. It was, however, as "the Member for Thormanby" 

 (as Lord Beaconsfield happily christened him) that he was best 

 'known both in and out of Parliament. Mr. Merry seldom addressed 

 the House, in which he held an independent course, giving his 

 support to any measure which he thought beneficial, irrespective 

 of party. With his constituents, however, he was exceedingly 

 popular, and had such a felicitous manner of addressing them that 

 he was always well received. The following anecdotes will serve 

 to illustrate his popularity in the Burghs. When he had to meet 

 a number of his constituents at Hamilton in July, 1865, he was 

 " heckled," as the Scotch say, by some of the electors, and among 

 the questions put to him was this: — Mr. James Strang: "What 

 is your opinion of the Derby ? " (Laughter.) Mr. Merry : " In reply 

 to that question I can only say, that in regard to the next Derby 

 [ will do my best to carry it oft", as I have done on several 

 other occasions, for the sake of old Scotland" — (applause) — "and I 

 trust that by doing so I shall not displease my constituents." 

 (Loud applause and laughter.) On another occasion a terrible 

 rumour had gone abroad among the Falkirk people, that their 

 member had allowed one of his racehorses to run in a race on 

 the Sabbath on the Continent, and it was solemnly determined that 

 he should be called upon for an explanation of such godless conduct. 

 The day arrived. The largest hall was crowded, the " meenister " 



