FALSE STARTS FOR THE ST. L.EGER DECISION. 171 



fourteen started without them, and the Stewards of Doncaster Races, declaring it 

 a false start, the following horses started again, and came in as under 



Col. Cradock's b. c. Sir Walter, by Whitworth, out of Esther, 

 ridden by William Scott ......-.---1 



Mr. Pierse's b. c. by Walton, out of Lisette- ------ 2 



Lord Eglington's b. c. Archibald, by Stamford, out of Blue 

 Stockings -------------^--3 



Seven others also started, but were not placed. 



The Stewards of the Race apparently, acted on the spur of the moment, and 

 without sufficient premeditation, in allowing a second start ; on the other hand, 

 Mr. Ferguson, the proprietor of Antonio, the winning horse, was guided by 

 sound discretion, and due confidence in the justice of that Court, to which he was 

 aware the cause must be referred, in declining again to start his horse. Reference 

 having since been made to the Jockey Club, their decision was as follows 



" Newmarket, Tuesday, October 5th, 1819. The Stewards of the Jockey Club 

 having taken into consideration, the Case laid before them by the Stewards of 

 Doncaster Races, respecting the St. Leger, and having examined Mr. Lockwood, 

 the person appointed by the Stewards of Doncaster to start and judge the Race, are 

 decidedly of opinion, that the Race should have been given to Antonio ; and con- 

 sequently that the Stewards should not have allowed a second Race. By order of 

 the Stewards of the Jockey Club. (Signed) " EDWARD WEATHERBY." 



Our uninformed Readers should be apprized that, in a Sporting view, the 

 decision of the Jockey Club is final ; from thence, there can be no other appeal 

 than to the Courts of Law. 



This may truly be said to have been a sporting Race : seven to four were betted 

 against the favourite, Mr. Pierse's Colt, and one hundred to three against Antonio, 

 the Winner. One hundred to three, and one hundred to four, against several 

 others. To enter into the merits of the dispute respecting this double start, it 

 cannot be denied with any degree of impartiality, that there was meditated un- 

 fairness in the transaction, and that blame ought to attach somewhere; sentiments, 

 the truth of which, we apprehend, will be fully borne out by the contents of the 

 following letter, published in December last, in the Sporting Magazine, and 

 obviously written by a Sportsman, not only well acquainted with certain manoeuvres, 

 too generally made use of in Racing, and which have been practised of late years 

 to an excess which must be its own cure, but also the particular state of the late 

 transactions at Doncaster. 



