134 A HISTORY Of THE ENGLISH TURF. 



trials," which is perhaps the most famous episode in Tregonwell Frampton's long 



and varied career, and left its traces on the statute-book of England. It was just at 



the beginning of the eighteenth century that the celebrated Yorkshire horse Merlin 



was matched at Newmarket against Frampton's "favourite horse " (unnamed) who 



may have possibly been either Spider or Pontz, both " famous Newmarket Horses " 



of his, by the Woodstock Arabian. Merlin was bred by Sir Matthew Pierson, and 



afterwards sold to Mr. Acklem. He was by Mr. Place's Bustler, who was a son 



of the Helmsley Turk, and the sire also of Blunderbuss and the IJ Arcy \\~oodcock. 



" Nimrod " is probably incorrect in saying that this match came off in the reign of 



George I., for on Tuesday, August 7th, i/i i, a Plate of 20 for horses, &c., 4-mile 



heats was won, over Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings, by Sir William Strickland's gr. h. 



Castaway by Woodcock, and among the starters were Mr. Sunderland's Hawker, Lord 



Molineux's Mi.xbury, Sir William Blackett's Blacklegs, Mr. Lisle's Pedlar, Mr. Wood's 



S/ng, Mr. Curwen's Fanny, and Mr. Bethell's b. h. Castaway by Old Merlin. The 



date of Castaways birth may well be 1704, as given in the General Stud Book. He 



was own brother to the same owner's b. c. }}'oodeock, got in 1715, when Merlin had 



for some time been at the Duke of Bolton's stud, and from his dam descend in direct 



female line, Wanton, Fazzolet'o, Cape Flyaway, Ruler, The Speaker (by Filbert), and 



Wallace. It is, of course, no proof that a horse was not racing, at this period, if he 



paid occasional visits to the Stud Farm ; but in so important a case as the one before 



us I am inclined to argue, from the age of his colt Castaway, that Merlin's great 



match with the southern champion took place, at any rate, earlier than 1704. 



Merlin's chief backer was the Sir William Strickland just mentioned as a winner 

 in 1711, who also owned a chestnut mare Button, beaten by Mr. Carr's Black Nanny, 

 in 1712 ; a bay horse, Chanter, by the Ancaster Turk, beaten by Mr. Honeywood's 

 good grey, True Blue, by Sir John Turner's White Turk, in 1716 ; a chestnut mare 

 who ran fourth for the Gold Cup to the Duke of Portland's Bonny Black in 1720, 

 and many other high formed animals. Merlin was sent down to Newmarket, 

 strongly supported by all the Yorkshire sportsmen, in charge of William Hesletine, 

 a jockey who rode Mr. Childers' ch. m. Whitenose, who beat Sir William Strickland's 

 gr. h. Castaway by Woodcock (Henry Robinson up) for a plate 0^40, four mile heats, 

 over Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings, on Wednesday, September i4th, 1709. I cannot 

 do better than continue the story in the words of Mr. T. Hornby Morlancl, whose 

 "Genealogy of the English Racehorse " was published in 1810. 



" Frampton's groom accidentally meeting Hesletine, proposed to run the horses 



