3o8 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



matches took place in these two years. In the 

 former year (May 22) the Right Hon. C. J. Fox 

 and Mr. Foley (afterwards the Lord, who was 

 so well-known and feared in ' Jewry ') backed 

 their horses, Pyrrhus (five years) and Trentham 

 (six years), for 2,500 guineas against 2,000 

 guineas, to beat Mr. Ogilvy's Pincher (aged), 

 S St. 7 lb. each, B.C., at Newmarket, when 

 Pincher was first instead of last of the three ; 

 and in the latter, Mr. F'ox betted Mr. Ogilvy 

 500 guineas even that, weights and distance as 

 before, at the Craven Meeting (April 2), Pincher 

 would be last of the three, as he was, and as 

 the bettors laid five to two that he would be, so 

 that the order was Trentham, Pyrrhus, Pincher, 

 instead of the Pincher, Trentham, Pyrrhus, in 

 strict accordance with seniority (aged, six years, 

 five years, as age was then reckoned from May i) 

 of the year before. 



A.D. 1773: On April 14, at Newmarket First 

 Spring, Mr. Christopher Blake's bay colt Firetail 

 beat (the Hon.) Mr. Foley's Pumpkin, four years, 

 8 St. each, for 500 guineas a side, over the 

 Rowley Mile, which is explicitly declared, and 

 Was apparently believed by the late Sir Francis 



