BEGINNINGS OF REAL RACING AND GENEALOGIES OF BLOOD STOCK. 105 



St. Patrick's Day, in the spring meeting of 1675, is the first occasion on which I 

 can find mention of that extraordinary Turfite Mr. Tregonwell Frampton, whose 

 portrait adorns my later pages. Sir William Coventry has left it on record, that a horse 

 named Lusty, from the famous stud of Lord Montague of Cowdry, was engaged in a 

 match with iVutmegge, "wherein Mr. Frampton, a gentleman of some ^120 rent, is 

 engaged ^900 deepe ... I hope the world will see wee have men who dare 

 venture as well as M. de Turenne." Need I add that the courtiers lost their 

 money, and that Frampton laid the foundation of one of the most lengthy and 

 astonishing careers in the history of 

 English racing, with Nutmeg's victory ? 

 That meeting was particularly brilliant, for 

 one day the King rode three heats and a 

 course, and won the Plate himself, and 

 Lord Arlington was not unnaturally com- 

 pelled to make excuses to the officials at 

 Whitehall for a delay in affairs of State, 

 which was due to more important business 

 on the Round Course. A nasty accident 

 occurred there, it appears, owing to a 

 fellow of Jesus (Cambridge) having got in 

 the way of a face, and upset Mr. Hilton, 

 whose Scotch horse was just beating Mr. 

 May's Diamond. Mr. May was also en- 

 gaged with a " dark horse " of his called 

 Thumper in a match for a thousand 

 guineas, six miles, at twelve stone, against 

 Blue Cap, to be run on the Tuesday in 



the Easter week. But evidently Tregonwell Frampton had pulled off " the 

 best thing," as was his habit. He was born the third son of William Frampton 

 and Catherine Tregonwell of Moreton, Devonshire, in 1641. He died where he had 

 spent most of his life, at Newmarket, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight, and forms 

 the most interesting link possible between the old days of the Turf, and the dawn of 

 modern Racing, as will be seen in the next chapter, where the numerous details 

 connected with his name are brought together. 



The Spring Meeting of 1680 was another notable occasion that deserves some- 



VOL. I. ! 



Ant/tony Ashley- Cooper, Earl <>/ Shitflesbury. 



By K. Wktlt. 



