226 GAINS IN 1844 AND 1845. 



self to their service, and did so without stint or 



reserve." 



That Lord George's determination to sell his 

 stud at one swoop was, as Mr Greville says, " a 

 very fine act," will be denied by none who know 

 what were his Lordship's gains upon the Turf in 

 1845, and also that in Surplice and Loadstone he 

 possessed, and knew that he possessed, in 1846, 

 the two most promising yearlings that ever called 

 him master. From the details recorded in the last 

 two chapters my readers will not be surprised to 

 learn that, to the best of my belief, Lord George's 

 winnings by betting during the year 1845 must 

 have amounted to close upon 100,000. It was 

 seldom his Lordship's habit to speak of money mat- 

 ters, about which, as about all his business trans- 

 actions, he was one of the most reticent of men. 

 His avowal, for instance, after the Great Yorkshire 

 Handicap, that he won more than 15,000 on that 

 race, was almost the only statement of the kind 

 that he ever vouchsafed to my father or myself. 

 Nevertheless, the amount of his outlay on a race 

 was in every instance approximately disclosed by 

 the statement of the quoted odds when the flag 

 fell ; and on such subjects popular rumour, eman- 

 ating from well-informed racing and betting men, 

 is seldom far from the mark. In this manner I 

 could not help being made aware what were the 

 races upon which his Lordship had staked most 



