84 HOUSE-RACING PREVIOUS TO VANS. 



that night will never be known ; but it was the 

 opinion of my father, and also that of the late Earl 

 of Stradbroke, whose horses were trained at that 

 time by Mr Boyce, and who managed the trial of 

 Sir Joshua, that it could not have been much less 

 than 50,000. Next day the match came off, and 

 Sir Joshua just won. When the start was effected, 

 Filho, who was very impetuous, reared high in the 

 air, losing two or three lengths, which he could 

 never quite regain. Perhaps " Royal George " 

 was fortunate in getting safely through this 

 desperate encounter between two good horses ; 

 but although invited to do so, neither he nor Mr 

 Neville would consent to make the match over 

 again, although the backers of Filho offered to put 

 down 3000 against Mr Neville's 2000. 



It is a little remarkable that my father should 

 have served two noble patrons of the Turf who 

 were so much alike in the magnitude of their 

 betting ventures as Lord George Cavendish and 

 Lord George Bentinck. When Bourbon won the 

 Craven Stakes some foreigners wanted Mr Boyce 

 to ask Lord George Cavendish whether he would 

 sell him, and if so, what price he would take. 

 Mr Boyce replied, " I might as well ask him to sell 

 Burlington House ; you had better ask him your- 

 self." And when the question was put to Lord 

 George, the answer he gave was, " When I want 

 to sell him I will let you know." At this time 

 Lord George Cavendish was considered the most 



