RACING ADVENTURERS. 257 



sort of way, the stable loft in which he died was 

 reached at last. Ridsdale's downfall began with 

 the defeat of a horse called Hornsea for the St. 

 Leger of 1835. On the success of this animal he 

 had, so to speak, thrown his last throw — a big 

 stake — and he lost it ; Queen of Trumps being 

 first for the St. Leger of that year, the horse 

 supported by Ridsdale only getting second. 

 When the settling day arrived Ridsdale could 

 not "show" — in plain language, he was unable 

 to pay — notwithstanding all the thousands he had 

 won over the victories of St. Giles and Margrave, 

 not less, when bad debts were deducted, probably 

 than ^70,000. In order to do his best for his 

 creditors, Ridsdale ordered all his possessions to 

 the hammer ; his horses and oxen, his plate and 

 pictures, his furniture and wines, were all offered 

 to the highest bidders. 



Fortune, however, had still a smile or two in 

 store for him, one of which may here be noticed. 

 At the jMerton sale there was offered a mean- 

 looking foal which no one would look at, but in 

 due time that same animal, then known as 

 Bloomsbury, won the Derby of 1839, for which 

 he had been entered and trained under the 

 superintendence of William, a brother of Robert 

 Ridsdale. Again the breath of rumour got to 

 work ; the winner of the race, it was asserted, 

 was not the horse which it was represented 

 to be, but another animal a year older. An 

 objection lodged against the horse, not on 

 that ground, but because of misdescription, 

 was overruled by the stewards ; but Mr. Fulwar 

 Craven, owner of the second horse, claimed the 

 stakes and raised an action for payment, in 



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