458 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



This brings us to the period from 1830 to 1846, which I had marked out as the 

 years with which the name of Lord George Bentinck is chiefly connected. I have 

 illustrated the horses of that period rather fully, for they were a remarkable lot in 

 many ways ; but I must now turn for a short time to the men. The reign of George 

 IV. had, of course, produced many ardent Turfites who had followed in their Royal 

 master's footsteps. Many, like his " Master of Horse," Delme Radcliffe, have been 

 already mentioned. The Duke of York (who died in 1827) was equally conspicuous. 

 Colonel Udny and Mr. Hunter (who won the Derby with a grey in 1821) carried 

 on the traditions of the old school, represented by Lord Egremont, who won his first 

 Derby in 1782 with Assassin, and his last in 1826 with Lapdog. Other famous 



owners were the Duke 

 of Rutland (Cad/and), 

 Lord Jersey (the two 

 Middlctons, Glenartney 

 and Mameluke], Sir John 

 Shelley (Phantom), the 

 Duke of Portland, owner 

 of Tircsias, and father of 

 Lord George Bentinck, 

 Lord Exeter, the Duke 

 of Richmond, and many 

 more. A conspicuous 

 figure was Jack Mytton 

 of Halston, in Shrop- 

 shire, who came into 



large estates at his majority. When only fourteen he wrote to Lord Chancellor 

 Eldon announcing that, as he intended to marry, 400 a year was not sufficient. 

 That stern Judge replied : " If you can't live on your allowance you must 

 starve, and if you marry I'll commit you to prison." Jack entered the 7th 

 Hussars a few years later, and began his education in Paris with the Army of 

 Occupation. He went in for racing as hard as for every other form of sport, 

 and owned Banker, who won sixteen races, among other good animals. But 

 gambling killed him. He lost ,10,000 to Mr. Ester at Calais over a single game of 

 billiards. By 1831 his estates were gone. By 1834 he died a prisoner for debt. 

 Before that year George 1 V. had passed away, and Blacklock was no more. Delme 



" Spaniel" (1828) by " Whalebone." 



