164 THE GOODWOOD STABLE IN 1845. 



leaves, and straw. As there were from sixty to 

 seventy horses to be exercised every day, I did not 

 like to trust more than a few of them upon the 

 track leading to the straw-beds at the same time, 

 for fear of one or more lads being pitched off, and 

 the horses getting loose. The straw - beds were 

 surrounded by a high ring-fence, and as soon as 

 one detachment had got safely inside the fence, 

 others were despatched from the stables. There 

 were outlets provided at many points in the sur- 

 rounding fence through which riotous horses could 

 be removed, in order not to disturb or demoralise 

 their quieter and better-behaved companions. In 

 this manner the horses engaged at Northampton 

 and other early meetings were able to do enough 

 work to make them far more fit to run than others 

 which had not enjoyed the same advantages. The 

 famous Halnaker gallop, which ran for a long way 

 through a wood in the jDark, afforded a convenient 

 trial-ground for the Northampton lot : and as the 

 Halnaker gallop was between two and three miles 

 distant from the stables at Goodwood, each horse 

 about to be tried was, by Lord George's instruc- 

 tions, conveyed in a van to the trial-ground. He 

 took great pleasure, and was much interested, in 

 making all these preparations to circumvent " Jack 

 Frost," and was not a little encouraged by the 

 results of the trials in which Cherokee, a two-year- 

 old filly by Redshank ; Discord, aged eight years ; 

 John o' Gaunt, aged seven years, and others, were 



