A GREAT YEAR 



been in great measure dependent upon the patrons of 

 the home stable and their friends. 



' In the days when the Duke of Beaufort, Lord 

 Anglesey, and Lord Hastings kept the Danebury 

 boxes full, some big matches, or private sweepstakes 

 resulting in matches, were occasionally made, notably 

 those between Leonie and Athena, Mameluke and 

 Innerdale, in 1867, Tenedos and Wellington in 1868 ; 

 while the races, big and little, usually filled well, and 

 it is needless to add were the medium of the heaviest 

 of betting. 



" The tale has doubtless lost nothing in the telling, 

 and sums are wont to be magnified by tradition, but 

 the thousands landed at seven to four on Historian 

 (who lost several lengths start) in a Handicap Plate, 

 half a mile, in the year 1865 did, we believe, really 

 amount to what was complacently spoken of by those 

 Titans of speculation as ' a very nice little stake.' 



" It was, however, as far back as 1 860 that the largest 

 field there recorded turned out for the Amport Stakes 

 of a mile and a half. Twenty-one runners, comprising 

 a goodly number of previous (or subsequent) winners, 

 would nowadays be esteemed no unworthy array to 

 face the starter for the Cesarewitch. 



" The failing health of John Day, most generous, 

 genial and hospitable of trainers, and the death or 

 retirement of many of his chief supporters, soon 

 dimmed the lustre of the once powerful stable, and 



