LORD GEORGE BENTINCK AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN TURF. 461 



time. He cleared the racecourse of defaulters. He gave frequent and practical 

 expression of his hatred of all that was cruel and unjust. He did good all round, 

 because he had done everything himself ever since, in 1824, he had ridden Mr. 

 Poyntz's chestnut mare Oliva for the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood, the meeting 

 with which his name is more closely connected than it is with any other. 



By 1827 he had already induced his father, the Duke of Portland, to support the 

 Stakes Cup, and Drawing Room Stakes at Goodwood ; but heavy losses over 

 Tarrares St. Leger compelled him to give up racing for a time. But he could not 

 keep off the Turf. In the names of his valued friend, the fifth Duke of Richmond, 

 with whose help he did so much for Goodwood, of his cousin, Mr. Greville, of Lord 

 Orford, or of Lord Lichfield, the latter in the case of Elis, Lord George soon had his 

 horses running on many different courses. But as the Duke of Richmond did not 

 wish the number of horses running in his own name to be increased at Goodwood, 

 Lord George established a stud at Danebury, with John Barham Day, and laid out 

 ,1,500 on bonedust alone. The first stallion, bought from Lord Jersey for .4,000, 

 was Bay Middlcton. Though he was the sire of The Flying Dutchman, Andover, and 

 Hermit, he was not successful for Lord George. Venison did better, but was let to 

 Mr. Sadler. In fact, if Lord George had not bought largely as well as bred, he 

 would not have achieved his best successes. Crucifix, for instance, he bought 

 from Lord Chesterfield for 60. Chapeau d'Espagne and Grey Momus were other 

 winners he owned at this period, when victories seemed literally to rain upon 

 him To f^ive some idea of his methods, it is worth mentioning that as soon as 



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he found out Crucifix's form as a yearling, he entered her for every race then 

 unclosed, and with her every horse he owned of the same age, so that no one should 

 spot his favourite. Again, the famous episode of vanning Elis to Newmarket had 

 its business side almost as strongly developed ; for Lord George refused to run the 

 horse until he could obtain the odds at twelve to one to 1,000, knowing that no one 

 would be in a position to make such a bet unless he had previously backed Elis heavily 

 on knowledge which should not have leaked out. He got Elis to the meeting in 

 time, and won the money ; indeed, as the late Lord Winchilsea observed, " It is diffi- 

 cult to say what Lord George Bentinck and relays of post-horses could not have 

 done." In 1844 he ran 38 different horses in 182 races, in places scattered all over 

 England, and in 1845, 30 horses in 190 races. Emilius, and his sire Priam, shared 

 his affections with Bay Middleton as sires, and it was chiefly because Crucifix was 

 Priam's daughter that he bought her, when both she and her aged dam looked 



VOL. II. 3 P 



