ORGANISED STEEPLECHASING 59 



Saturday the 24th February 1838, was so misty, that if 

 a lane had not served as a guide over a great portion 

 of the course, it is doubtful whether a proper Hne could 

 have been kept. 



Lottery, mentioned in connection with the preceding 

 race, was, in spite of his occasional refusals, a grand 

 horse over a country, and made a great name for 

 himself in the steeplechasing world in the later thirties. 

 He was bred by Mr. Jackson, near Thirsk. 



In 1833 or 1834 his breeder took him to Horncastle 

 Fair, and, according to tradition, there was but one 

 person who asked a single question concerning the 

 leggy, narrow, short quartered, mealy brown colt, and 

 that person was John Elmore the dealer, who saw some- 

 thing in him, and asked that he might be ridden over 

 a post and rail. The colt jumped the obstacle, though 

 in somewhat green fashion, but Mr. Jackson stuck out 

 for a long price. After a great deal of bargaining 

 Elmore took him at ^120, and he certainly had no 

 reason to repent his purchase. 



Elmore had Lottery taken down to his farm at 

 Uxendon, near Harrow on the Hill, where his cross- 

 country education was begun ; but in spite of the jump 

 he made over the Horncastle post and rail, he did not 

 prove very quick at his new business. About 1836 or 

 1837, two curious institutions were flourishing on the 

 outskirts of London — the Hippodrome near Notting 

 Hill, and Paddy Jackson's hunting-grounds at Kensal 

 New Town. At both these places were small flat-race 

 and steeplechase courses, and contests often took place 

 there. Some idea of the frequency with which they 

 were held may be gained from the fact that Mr. 

 Stevenson's chestnut True Blue, by Jujube, won in the 

 course of a single season ^160, each horse's stake being 

 from ^i to ^3. Lottery was sent to these places to 

 see what he could do, but he at first performed in a 



