254 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



those at Newmarket we find him at supper with 

 the Duke of Albemarle, "and all the jockeys 

 with them." During the progress of this meal 

 Sir Robert Carr and the king arranged several 

 matches in which their respective horses were to 

 be ridden by the jockey each should nominate. 

 That Sir Robert came badly out of the affair 

 may be gathered from the statement that in a 

 single day he lost between ^5000 and ^6000 

 "and became greatly enraged" — a breach of 

 etiquette that the king did not forget, and that 

 he never forgave. 



A despatch from Lord Conway, dated the 5th 

 April 1682, contains a descriptive account of a 

 false start that took place in one of the races at 

 Newmarket owing apparently to a curious blunder 

 on the part of the starter. 



" Here hapned yesterday," Lord Conway 

 writes, "a dispute upon the greatest point of 

 Criticall learning that was ever known at New- 

 Market, A Match between a Horse of Sir Rob : 

 Car's, and a Gelding of Sir Rob : Geeres, for a 

 mile and a halfe only, had engaged all the Court 

 in many thousand pounds, much depending in 

 so short a course to haue them start fairly. 



"Mr Griffin was appointed to start them. 

 When he saw them equall he sayd Goe, and 

 presently he cryed out Stay. One went off, and 

 run through the Course and claims his money, 

 the other never stird at all. 



