96 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



lists. They were Dr. Syntax, Sir Joshua, and 

 Copenhagen. The Doctor was a very wonderful 

 horse ; he was said to be ' shod with Gold Cups ' 

 (the number of which was increased during 

 George III.'s reign, just after the time that one 

 had been instituted at Richmond, Yorks, in 1759, 

 to as many almost as there were race-meetings). 

 He began to 'practise' at two years of age in 

 1814, and he did not 'retire' until 1823, when 

 he was certainly ' aged,' being eleven years old, 

 well sounded. He was a ' provincial ' horse, and 

 ' practised ' almost entirely among the Gold Cups 

 at Richmond (Yorks), Preston, Lancaster, and 

 other country places, and he generally gave his 

 opponents 'gruel,' He was never more than 

 barely 15 hands high, and, as a )earling, was 

 so small that his owner, Mr. Riddell, of Felton 

 Park, Alnwick, Northumberland, thought of turn- 

 ing him Into a hack for young Master Riddell. 

 He was of a singular colour, officially described 

 as ' brown,' but said to have been rather ' mouse- 

 coloured ' (after the ancient style), and was so 

 short and fine in his coat that, after a single 

 canter, all his veins would stand out ' as if he 

 were covered with network.' He would not brook 



