34 THE JOCKEY CLUB 1750- 



mingling with 'the blood of a man [Sir Hugh's 

 grandfather] who let or drove coaches.' The descend- 

 ant of Walpole's hackney-coach driver was Viceroy of 

 Ireland, and Walpole describes how 'her Vice-Majesty 

 of Ireland sailed to Newmarket with her legs out at 

 the foreglass ' (in consequence of flooded roads) ; for 

 both Earl and Countess were extremely ' horsey.' In 

 1766 the Earl was made a Duke, and succeeded the 

 Duke of Ancaster as Master of the Horse — the right 

 man in the right place, if the many ' Northumberland 

 Arabians ' he imported, regardless of cost, may be 

 taken as proof of his zeal in the cause of the thorough- 

 bred. These were the Northumberland Bay Arabian, 

 the Northumberland Brown Arabian (also called 

 Leedes's Arabian), the Northumberland Grey Arabian, 

 the Northumberland Golden Arabian, the Northum- 

 berland Chestnut Arabian, &c. ; and' if their influence 

 is less discernible than that of many others in the 

 pedigrees, the fault does not lie with their importer 

 certainly, and perhaps not any more with his agent, 

 Mr. Phillips. At the time of adopting 'colours,' the 

 Duke with instinctive appropriateness chose ' deep 

 yellow ' (as of the guinea) , converted afterwards into 

 the still more significant ' all gold.' The Duke died 

 in 1786, but never ran for either Oaks, or Derby, or 

 St. Leger apparently, which were of small account, 

 however, compared with the position they afterwards 

 assumed. The Duke was one of the subscribers to 

 the Jockey Club Challenge Cup in 1768 ; and he won 



