174 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



remained without its special coterie, and Racing was kept alive only by those who 

 really cared for it, by the breeders of the North, the good sportsmen of the South, 

 and even by the politicians of the Midlands. When Racing is in your blood, it 

 does not much matter what your other and more ostensible avocations may 

 be. Your best thoroughbred is the thing that really holds your heart ; and 

 it would be a pleasant consideration to go through the list of ministers and politicians 

 and public men now living and to show how this holds just as good to-day as it 

 did two centuries ago. 



Lord Wharton may be taken as an instance of the racing politician of the days 

 of William III. and of Queen Anne. He was the head of the Buckinghamshire 



Whigs, and one of the 

 most dexterous of party 

 managers. As " Honest 

 Tom " he was one of the 

 famous " Junta " with 

 Russell the victor of La 

 Hogue, Somers who had 

 brilliantly defended the 

 Seven Bishops, and 

 Montague the greatest 

 financier of his time. 

 Whenever a Tory entered 

 a horse for a good stake 

 in any part of England 

 where a vote was needed 



Her Majesty Queen Anne's " Leedes." 

 By permission of Mr. Somervillc Talttrsall. fty \Vootlon. 



for the Whigs, Wharton's Careless made a sudden appearance and carried off the 

 cup ; and it may possibly not be thought too fanciful if I suggest a trace of the 

 same idea in the name of Lord Godolphin's Flying Whigg. I have a particular 

 pleasure, too, in recording that Lord Wharton was an admirable swordsman as 

 well, by a combination of qualities that has been noticed before. Party feeling 

 ran very high soon after the trial of Spencer Cowper, when Graham, Viscount 

 Cheyney, was returned at the head of the poll for Buckinghamshire by the Tories, 

 and took advantage of his victory to try and rid the country of so powerful a 

 canvasser on the other side by fastening a quarrel on the owner of Careless. But 

 Wharton's cool good humour and skilful courage only increased when he had a 



