62 Sporting and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 



Cheveley. 



The Duke's 

 Raciiiff Career. 



Queen Anne's 



Visit 



to Cheveley. 



Windham. 

 1712-13. 



the Dons to their new sovereign. The ceremony must have been 

 attended with great display : five dukes, twelve earls, numerous 

 lords, and the Foreign Ambassadors, with their suites, having 

 assisted at the function. On the following day a match between 

 one of the King's horses and one of the Duke's, for 2000 guineas, 

 was run for, but the result of the match is not known. At the 

 Spring Meeting of 1704 he won ;^ioo in money, given by Queen 

 Anne to be run for by five-year-old horses, the best of three 

 heats, 12 stone each. At the ensuing Spring Meeting he also 

 won a similar race. During this meeting he must have had a 

 busy time. In his capacity of Master of the Horse he had to 

 attend on the Queen, who honoured the meeting with her presence 

 and made a sojourn there extending over five days. On the 12th 

 (April) he had to present Dr. Ellis, Vice-Chancellor, and the heads 

 of the University of Cambridge, to the Queen, who was graciously 

 pleased to receive from them, on that occasion, the " loyal 

 address " which the Dons presented to her. He accompanied 

 her on an informal visit to Cheveley : at that time, alas ! 

 no longer the Cheveley of former days : dilapidated, un- 

 occupied, and neglected. Fortunately the famous Terrace 

 survived the wreck of the Hall, and the Queen is said to have 

 lingered there for some time, and to have admired it very much. 

 At the October Meeting of 1 707 the Duke won a match of ;^400. 

 This meeting was also honoured with the presence of the Queen, 

 and was her last sojourn at the Metropolis of the Turf. 



At the Newmarket Autumn Meeting of 1712, and at the 

 Spring Meeting of 17 13, his grey horse Windham beat the Duke of 

 Bolton's bay horse Bolton in two matches. The former was run for 

 on November 12, for 500 guineas, five miles, 12 stone each; the 

 latter on April 1, for 300 guineas, five miles, 13 stone each. The 

 finish of these two matches were painted by John Wootton, and 

 are now among the art treasures at Cheveley Park. The first 

 mentioned picture was (badly) engraved, and has been frequently 

 reproduced in books, magazines, and illustrated newspapers. 



