114 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



trial, except that Barefoot gained the place of 

 honour, Comte d'Artois being again third, to 

 Mr, Houldsworth's Sherwood, which attained 

 second honours, Barefoot winning easily by two 

 lengths. 



The annals of the St. Leger are not free from 

 stain. Many a time and oft have whispers gone 

 abroad of " foul play " and fraudulent practices. 

 A calendar of all the suspicious doings which 

 have been incidental to the great race would 

 fill many pages. One or two of them may be 

 referred to. As has been told, the race was 

 won in 1822 by a rank outsider (Theodore). 

 The favourite that year was a colt named 

 Swap, belonging to, or at least nominated by, 

 M. T. O. Powlett. It was ridden by W. Scott, 

 and started at odds of 7 to 4 against it, and 

 finished nowhere. Previous to the race being 

 run there had been displayed a great amount 

 of excitement and temper with reference to the 

 doings in the various betting centres of the 

 time. Ugly rumours were in circulation re- 

 garding the favourite ; those in " the know " 

 were so anxious to lay against the horse that 

 suspicion was excited of all not being as it ought 

 to be with Swap. And so it proved. ** The 

 legs" became jubilant after the race, some of 

 them having netted large sums of money. The 

 betting had been very heavy, and backers of 

 Swap lost considerable amounts. Afterwards, in 

 the Gascoigne Stakes, Swap beat Theodore 

 easily. 



In the sporting circles of the period this 

 particular St. Leger long formed a theme of 

 gossip, and the men who managed " the affair " 



