630 



A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



The Prince was quietly met with a fly from Porter's house at Overtoil Station, by 

 the 9 a.m. train from Waterloo, and was received on the Downs by Lord Alington 

 and Sir Frederick Johnstone. The trainer started the field of five, in which "all 

 went in," irrespective of exclusive ownership, in order to ensure as thorough an 

 investigation as possible. It resulted as follows, over a mile and a half: 



St. Blaise, 3 yrs., 8st. 61b. 

 Incendiary, 6 yrs., 8st. 2lb. 

 Shotover, 4 yrs., 8st. i2lb. 

 Geheimniss, 4 yrs., gst. 5lb. 



i 

 2 



3 

 4 



Energy, 3 yrs., 8st. s\l) 5 



Won by two lengths, four lengths between second and third, a head between fourth and fifth. 



Lord Alington died in February, 1904. He was the Hon. Gerald Sturt until 

 1876, and began racing as soon as he came of age twenty years before. Harry Hill, 



Lord George Bentinck's 

 chief commissioner, said 

 that Mr. Sturt, before he 

 was twenty-five, could 

 get more valuable turf 

 news for nothing than 



Lord 



George 



Finish of the Derby for 1901. 



ever 



attained with all his 

 reckless outlay. The 

 best Lord Alington 

 owned with Sir Frede- 

 rick Johnstone were 

 St. Blaise, Common, 

 Throstle, and Matchbox, 

 and his worst dis- 

 appointment was no doubt when Allbrook was beaten by Fordham's splendid 

 riding on Sabinus in the Cambridgeshire. At his death Lord Alington was Senior 

 member of the Jockey Club, and one of the oldest supporters of the Turf then living 

 who had won such victories ; and until very near the end he took the deepest 

 interest in racing and in breeding. The break-up of "the old firm" was half- 

 suspected when Sir Frederick Johnstone's horses were found to be entered in his 

 own name for the great three-year-old races of 1905 ; but few realised that, when 

 Lord Alington watched his Flor Fina run for the All-aged Stakes at Ascot, it would 



