60 EARLY RACING DAYS. 



" come away at Tattenham Corner, but not to 

 spread-eagle them too far ! " John Blenkhorn, 

 trainer of the Queen, happened to hear this, and 

 instructed Tommy Lye to " spread-eagle the others 

 as far as he could," with the result that such a 

 tailing race has seldom been seen since I 



In 1836 his Lordship entered more fully than 

 ever into the spirit of racing, and increased the 

 number of his horses. Elis was beaten for the 

 Two Thousand Guineas by Bay Middleton, much 

 to his Lordship's disappointment, as he backed him 

 for a considerable amount, after trying him with 

 the Duke of Kichmond's Pussy (winner of the 

 Oaks in 1834) and with others, whom he beat so 

 easily that we all thought his defeat impossible. 

 Bay Middleton, however, defeated him in such 

 style that Lord George never ceased to back Lord 

 Jersey's splendid colt for the Derby of 1836 ; and 

 after seeing him saddled and cantered, his Lord- 

 ship rode up to the ring, which was then formed 

 on the hill near the mile-post, and took £2000 to 

 £1000 three times about Bay Middleton, thereby 

 landing a good stake, although he had Venison 

 running, whom he had also backed. 



Encouraged by his success in backing Bay 

 Middleton for the Derby and in owning Elis, of 

 whom, although he admitted his inferiority to Bay 

 Middleton, he entertained a very high opinion, 

 and remembering that Venison had evinced good 

 form by winning the Gloucestershire Stakes and 



