ORGANISED STEEPLECHASING 21 



stables in Foley Place? The colt he was leading up was a high- 

 couraged, unbroke, or rather half-broke bay, entire thoroughbred two- 

 year-old colt with black legs, and not a white speck about him, and a 

 long tail. The colt had also, at that time, a small scar scarcely healed 

 up, on his near arm, just above the knee on the outside. The scar 

 would be about this size (sketch). The man and colt were on their 

 way to Epsom to Smith's training stables. The man's name was 

 Richard Watson." 



The colt alluded to in the above letter was Macca- 

 beus, by Gladiator, who at four years old, in 1844, ran 

 in the Derby as Running Rein. 



With excellent judgment Coleman proceeded to 

 start a stage coach which ran twice a day from Luton 

 to Watford, "for the convenience of the public," as 

 he stated ; but as the coach stopped and changed at 

 the "Chequers" — where, by the way, the Hertfordshire 

 Hunt Club had its headquarters for twenty years — 

 some little benefit no doubt accrued to the astute pro- 

 prietor of that sporting hostelry. Yet another venture 

 was to build the Turf Cottage (an inn) " upon the site 

 of the winning-post of the first public steeplechase ever 

 run, between two gigantic elm trees." These trees he 

 cut down, and afterwards let the cottage for ^50 a year. 

 Coleman afterwards estimated that he had laid out 

 about ^2500 on other people's property, an expenditure 

 he subsequently regretted. 



Under Coleman's auspices there had been flat race 

 meetings on No Man's Land, and these were after- 

 wards removed to Gorhambury Park, Lord Verulam 

 entertaining those members of the Jockey Club who 

 went down. The drive from London was one of the 

 features of the function, three teams being generally 

 used. 



Though Coleman inaugurated and managed the St. 

 Albans steeplechases on No Man's Land, where George 

 IV. won a race with Hindostan, the idea appears to 



