558 HISTORY OF THE 



be expected, the young one runs up to the old 

 one Uke a shot, as the trainers say ; he is accord- 

 ingly backed heavily, and on the day, gets a com- 

 fortable beating, to the very great surprise of those 

 in the secret. This is not always the case, but I 

 fear too frequently it is. Another evil in the usual 

 mode of trying is, that boys, not jockeys, are put 

 up in trials, by way of greater secresy : as if a 

 trial ever yet was kept quite a secret.*" 



* The following anecdote, for which we are indebted to the New 

 Sporting Magazine (vol. xiv, p. l/l), is an admirable illustration of 

 the Jast remark, and, at the same time, a specimen of turf stratagem. 

 " About a fortnight before the St. Leger, 1836, a trial took place in 

 one of the leading stables in the north, and the ' favourite of the 

 summer' having been found wanting, another goodly animal was 

 placed in the enviable position of ' first favourite.' The result of 

 the trial was duly forwarded to a gentleman in town of great influ- 

 ence in the sporting circles, and was supposed to be known to him 

 only. This gentleman happened to be rather late in his attendance at 

 Tattersal's, and upon his arrival there, how great was his surprise to 

 find that Mr. G — — x had, by some means or other, profited largely 

 by the knowledge of the trial, thereby preventing the party getting on 

 at all. The gentleman having written to the ' Brothers,' and in- 

 formed them of this untoward event, it was upon strict, though secret 

 inquiry, found that the trial had become known through a lad in the 

 stable, a relation of a celebrated trainer at Newmarket, who was in 



some degree connected with Mr. G x's turf speculations. And 



now, the cure. A day was fixed for another trial between the horses, 

 and unknown to any of the lads, the winner of the previous trial was 

 made to carry a heavy saddle about 14lb. weight. This just reversed 

 the thing. As soon as the post allowed, the news of this trial reached 

 Newmarket, and was duly forwarded to the neighbourhood of the 



Regent's Park, where Mr. G x resides. It only remains to state, 



that the party connected with the northern stable completely suc- 

 ceeded in the manoeuvre ; Mr. G x got quit of his fancied ' good 



