408 RACING CAREER OF SIR W. H. GREGORY. 



come a member of the Bibury Club, and old John 

 Day tried his diplomacy upon the Squire to ascer- 

 tain whether he would interfere with his former 

 antagonist's election. All animosity, however, had 

 long died away in the Squire's breast ; and after 

 Lord George's admission to the club, he invited 

 the Squire to come and see the Danebury horses, 

 and treated him with marked politeness. 



The next episode in Lord George's career has 

 reference to the most sensational trial ever yet 

 embarked upon in connection with an English 

 race. There has never been any dearth of floating 

 rumours among old habitues of the Turf as regards 

 the frequent occurrence of three-year-old races 

 which have been fraudulently won without detec- 

 tion, though certainly not without suspicion, by 

 four - year - olds and upwards. It is more than 

 probable that in two or three instances, besides 

 that of Running Rein, there is truth in these allega- 

 tions or surmises. Into them, however, I have no 

 intention to enter, as there is nothing to be gained 

 by chronicling suspicions which cannot be sub- 

 stantiated. The " memorable Derby of 1844 " 

 possesses this rare peculiarity — that two horses 

 started for it, each trained in a different stable, 

 which were admittedly four-year-olds, and that 

 one of them broke the other's leg in rounding 

 Tattenham Corner, and ended by catching 

 the Judge's eye as seeming winner of the race. 



