LIFE OF MYTTON. 117 



break away with me in the race, and the little chance 

 I had was lost by it. I say " the little chance," be- 

 cause, although I defeated seven of eight horses that 

 started against me, by at least twenty lengths, the 

 ninth came up and won cleverly at the last. This 

 proved to be the famous Habberly, who was in- 

 stantly purchased by Mr. Mytton for two hundred 

 guineas, but who had never started or been heard 

 of before that day. He was called and entered 

 as a cocktail ; but, as his subsequent running 

 proved. Eclipse was not more thoroughbred than 

 he was ; and no doubt the original owners of him 

 knew it. 



Let us here take a cursory review of his start and 

 progress on the turf It appears that he entered 

 upon its fascinations at the earliest possible oppor- 

 tunity, viz., on attaining his majority in 18 17. In 

 the book calendar of that year there are three horses 

 attached to the name of "John Mytton, Esq.," the 

 names of two of which, " Hazard " and " Neck or 

 Nothing," are highly characteristic of the man, and 

 especially so at the commencement of his perilous 

 career on this slippery ground. 



He made his d^btit at Oswestry on the 23rd of 

 September of the said year, on which day both the 



