ENTHUSIASM AT GOODWOOD. 121 



"All right!" was an inexpressible relief to me. 

 The prevailing opinion that the Chester course 

 was the most unfavourable one in England for 

 such a horse and jockey, in which opinion Lord 

 George Bentinck fully concurred, proved quite 

 the reverse of the truth, as it was really equiva- 

 lent to turning the horse loose in a circus from 

 which there was no escape. Instead of a race, 

 it bore more resemblance to a " Ked Deer chase," 

 and every arrangement connected with this re- 

 markable event appeared to have been thought 

 out and brought off to perfection. 



Upon the return home of Hed Deer in his van 

 he was met at the Fareham station by a large 

 number of people amid great rejoicings. At the 

 next stage, Havant, the landlord (Mr Lock), who 

 enjoyed the lucrative ^^rivilege of supplying post- 

 horses for all the vans and chaises from Goodwood 

 to Fareham and back, was desirous of adding em- 

 phasis to the general jubilations by decorating his 

 horses and the post-boys with a profusion of the 

 victorious colours. At Chichester the van was 

 met by many of the citizens, with flags and 

 banners bearing the well-known yellow and scar- 

 let colours. The enthusiasm and cheering- were 

 as great as when the news of the glorious 

 victory of Waterloo was received in 1815. At 

 Goodwood Lodge gates the Chester party found 

 a well - constructed set of rope - harness, with 

 poles, &c., in readiness, and fifty or sixty stable- 



