THE FIRST OF THE PLUNGERS. 35 



In the spring of 1789, when his lordship burst upon New- 

 market in his glory, he had twenty horses in training, with 

 ninety -six engagements. Most of these engagements were 

 matches for sums ranging from five hundred to two thousand 

 guineas. It would be of no interest to follow him through his 

 Turf engagements ; suffice it to say that at the end of the first 

 year of his racing career he found that in matches and stakes he 

 had lost some 7000/., that his trainer's bill came to 3000/., and 

 that his betting-book showed a balance on the wrong side of 

 rather more than 10,000 guineas. It must be admitted that this 

 was a very creditable exhibition of plunging for a novice of nine- 

 teen. The next year Lord Barrymore increased his stud to 

 thirty-five, with a hundred and sixty engagements. He was 

 determined to have good horses at any price, and he did contrive 

 to get three of the good ones, viz. Seagull and Chanticleer, for 

 which two he gave 4000 guineas, and Rockingham, one of 

 the best horses of his day, whom he purchased for 3000 guineas, 

 sums hitherto unheard of on the Turf Nevertheless, at the end 

 of that year, too, he found himself out of pocket in stakes and 

 training expenses alone to the tune of 8000 guineas, to say 

 nothing of bets to the extent of probably twice as much. 



The year 1791 saw Lord Barrymore at the zenith of his career 

 as a plunger. He had indeed reduced his stud to twenty-four 

 horses, but he plunged wildly on Rockingham, Seagull, and 

 Chanticleer. At the Ascot Meeting — one of the most memor- 

 able, by the way, on record — Lord Barrymore prepared two 

 banquets for the Prince of Wales, which cost 1700 guineas ; yet 

 the Prince was present at neither of them, and only three guests 

 sat down to each of these sumptuous feasts. It was in that year 

 that the Oatland Stakes were run for the last time at Ascot, and 

 the excitement over the race was stupendous. The Oatland 

 Stakes were then one of the most valuable and important prizes 

 on the Turf Their net value in the year of which we speak was 

 nearly 3000 guineas, and no less than nineteen horses came to 

 the post. For some time previously the race had been the prin- 

 cipal topic of conversation and speculation among sporting men. 

 The betting was fast and furious. *Lord Barry more's Chanticleer 

 was first favourite at 9 to 2, and his lordship backed the horse to 

 a very large amount. The Prince of Wales had his two famous 

 horses Escape and Baronet entered, but neither was thought 

 good enough to beat Chanticleer. The public took an immense 

 interest in the race, which a contemporary sporting journal 



