156 THE GOODWOOD STABLE IN 1844. 



Ratan, trained by Joe Rogers at Newmarket. 

 Ratan won the New Stakes at Ascot by three 

 lengths, beating a bay filly, Assay, belonging to 

 Alderman Copeland, who, from her previous per- 

 formances, was backed at evens against the field. 

 Lord George was a heavy backer of Assay, and 

 lost his money. Ratan was an upstanding, good- 

 looking horse, but rather short. Lord George 

 immediately took the odds about him for the 

 Derby. In the Houghton Meeting at Newmarket 

 Ratan won the Criterion Stakes easily by four 

 lengths, and was ridden, as at Ascot, by Sam 

 Rogers. This encouraged Lord George during 

 the winter to increase his investments upon Ratan 

 for the Derby. In the Craven Meeting at New- 

 market, 1844, Ratan again won a race easily by 

 two lengths, beating a field of seven. This again 

 encouraged Lord George to continue backing him 

 for the Derby. At the First Spring Meeting, Mr 

 John Day's The Ugly Buck won the Two Thou- 

 sand Guineas, beating Lord George Bentinck's 

 Devil-to-Pay by a neck, after a good race ; which 

 form Lord George did not consider nearly equal 

 to that displayed by Ratan, and he therefore con- 

 tinued to back the latter heavily for the Derby. 

 Still there was such an unmistakable disposition 

 to lay against Ratan in certain dangerous quar- 

 ters that Lord George began to suspect some- 

 thing was amiss ; but as the horse was doing 

 reofular work he could not understand the mar- 



