THE RUNNING REIN CASE. 153 



year-old plate which he won, beating the Duke of 

 Rutland's Crinoline and ten others, the Duke 

 objected to him on the ground that he was three 

 instead of two years old. The case was inves- 

 tigated by the Stewards, who dismissed it with 

 the remark that the Duke of Rutland had not 

 proved Running Rein to be three years old. 

 When, however, the same horse started subse- 

 quently for the Clearwell Stakes, in which, al- 

 though backed heavily by the public, he was 

 beaten, Lord George's keen and vigilant suspicions 

 were aroused by something that reached his ears. 

 During the winter, therefore, he quietly obtained 

 information which greatly strengthened his doubts 

 as to Running Rein's real age. Scarcely had the 

 horse been placed first for the Derby of 1844 before 

 Lord George mentioned the facts which he had 

 accumulated to Colonel Peel, the owner of Orlando, 

 who finished second to Running Rein, and advised 

 him strongly to make an objection, which he did 

 at once, and claimed the Derby Stakes. The 

 Stewards of Epsom Races directed Messrs Wea- 

 therby to pay the stakes into the Court of Ex- 

 chequer, and to leave the law to settle who was 

 their rightful owner. Under these circumstances 

 an action was brought by Mr A. Wood, the nomi- 

 nator of Running Rein, against Colonel Peel in the 

 Court of Exchequer, to decide who was entitled 

 to receive the Derby Stakes. It was tried on the 

 1st and 2d of July 1844, and resulted in a verdict 



