452 A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



the beaten. The finish was, however, very exciting, for Jerry had waited all 

 the way ; Streatham led from the start to a distance and a-half from home ; 

 there he was cut down by Canteen, who in turn was passed by Bmtandorf, and 

 Miller of Mansfield, only to beat both of them and be caught at the Stand by 

 Jerry. In 1827 Jerrv also beat Lord Scarborough's Tarrare (by Cation] who won 

 the St. Leger of 1826, from a big field very cleverly, by half a length. Again 

 there was big money won, for Tarrare started at twenty to one against, and credited 

 Mr. James Bland with ,30,000, while Lord Scarborough's household got ,2,500 

 between them. There were, however, more horses in Mcmnons year (1825), when 

 thirty faced the starter and the result was sent to London by carrier-pigeons, and to 

 Manchester by trained dogs. This was the fiftieth race since its establishment, 

 and it was signalised by various alterations. The entrance was fixed at ,25 ; the 

 weights at 8st. 6lb. for colts and 8st. 3lb. for fillies ; the course at i mile 6 furlongs 

 132 yards, which it has been ever since. Now, too, the formal parade and canter 

 of the horses was instituted ; more stands were erected ; and the new arrangements 

 were not long before they received an appropriate consecration. 



It was another of the offspring of Counts who was destined to confer undying 

 lustre upon the season of 1827. In that year Sir Francis Doyle was an Eton boy, on 

 a visit with Lord Scarborough at Sir William Cooke's house. He started to ride to 

 Doncaster but was knocked off his pony by the branch of a tree. However, his 

 Muse protected him, and inspired so much anticipation of great things to come that 

 he got into his saddle and went on to the racecourse, where he saw " one of the most 

 interesting and remarkable races of the century," which he immortalised in his well- 

 known poem. The rivalry between North and South was always keenest when a 

 Southern-trained Derby winner came up to Doncaster. North- country horses had 

 proved their worth at Epsom since Mr. Cookson's Sir Harry won the Derby of 

 1798, and between that date and 1836 are such names as Mr. Christopher Wilson's 

 Champion, Sir H. Williamson's Ditto and Pan, the Duke of Portland's Tiresias, Mr. 

 Ridsdale's Sf. Giles, and Mr. John Bowes' Miindig (by Cat ton], who was unplaced in 

 Queen of Trumps' St. Leger. But in 1827 there was exceptional interest in the fact 

 that Mr. John Gully had bought Mameluke, that year's Derby winner, for ,4,000, with 

 the object of winning the great North- country race. This man deserves special 

 mention as a typical character of his time, and his operations are especially interesting 

 in the light of Lord George Bentinck's career a little later. 



John Gully was a Gloucestershire man, born at the Crown Inn, W T ick, and first 



