THE TURF. 
could not be decided it was a dead heat ; but our colt 
was by no means among the first. Yet so adroit was 
Captain Vernon in hedging his bets, that if one of the 
two colts that made it a dead heat had beaten, our 
master would, on that occasion, have won ten thousand 
pounds : as it was, he lost nothing, nor would in any 
case have lost anything. In the language of the turf, 
he stood ten thousand pounds to nothing ! A fact so 
extraordinary to ignorance, and so splendid to poverty," 
continues Holcroft, " could not pass through a mind like 
mine without making a strong impression, which the 
tales told by the boys of the sudden rise of gamblers, 
their empty pockets at night, and their hats full of 
guineas in the morning, only tended to increase." 
And in truth it was not without effect ; for poor 
Holcroft began betting next morning, and before the 
week ended half of his year's wages were gone ! 
Another staunch hero of the turf was the late Earl of 
Clermont, the breeder of Trumpator, from whom were 
descended all the ators of after days, viz., Paynator, 
Venator, Spoliator, Drumator, Ploughator, Amator, 
Pacificator, &c. ; besides which he was the sire of 
'Sorcerer, Penelope, Tuneful, Chippenham, Orange- 
flower, his late majesty's famous gelding Rebel, and 
several other first-rates. Lord Clermont also was a 
great contributor to the turf by bringing with him from 
Ireland the famous jockey, Dennis Fitzpatrick, son of 
one of his tenants. We have his lordship, indeed, 
before us this monent, on his pony on the heath, and 
178 
