SOME MEMORABLE MATCHES 317 



A.D. 1798: In the month of December a 

 military or naval officer trotted 15 miles on 

 the turnpike road, from Chelmsford to Dunmow, 

 in I hour 9 minutes, with his face to the tail. 



A.D. 1799: At Newmarket Craven Meeting^, 

 on March 25, Sir H. Vane-Tempest's Hamble- 

 tonian (by King Fergus), 8 st. 3 lb., ridden by 

 the celebrated Frank Buckle, beat by a short 

 half-length Mr. Cookson's Diamond (by High- 

 flyer), 8 St., ridden by the somewhat less celebrated 

 Denis Fitzpatrick, both six years old, in a match 

 for 3,000 guineas over the B.C. (4 miles, i furlong, 

 138 yards, as measured at that time). This was 

 one of the greatest matches ever seen since the 

 match between Old Merlin and Mr. Frampton's 

 horse (a.d. 1702 about). It was once more 

 North V. South, for Hambletonian was bred by 

 Mr. (ex-stable-boy) John Hutchinson, of York ; 

 and Diamond by Mr. Francis Dawson, of New- 

 market, and, oddly enough, had belonged to Sir 

 H. Vane-Tempest, who had purchased him at 

 York August Meeting, 1796, and afterwards sold 

 him to Mr. Cookson (a banker and ex-guardsman, 

 and himself a 'Northerner'). The race created 

 so much interest, it is said, that there never .had 



