122 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



Charles XII. and HjUus are running- their " heads" and 

 ^^ heads ;" Sweet Ahce, with her level action, is stealing 

 away from them ; the Milesian O'Brien is flourishing in 

 a perfect blaze of triumph ; while calm, collected Lord 

 George is winning or losing his thousands, all with the 

 same imperturbable high-bred manner and expression. 

 Somehow or other, the Duke rather declines as the other 

 advances, but Kent can do some service for his good 

 master yet: and Refraction wins the Oaksj and Red 

 Deer runs away with the mite Kitchener and the Chester 

 Cup j while Vampire lands the Ascot Stake two years in 

 succession — all, be it understood, on their own account as 

 the Duke's own, and in no sort of confederacy, as we be- 

 lieve, with Lord George and his leviathan establishment. 

 The only partner the Duke of Richmond ever had on the 

 Turf was his old friend Lord Stradbroke, and that was 

 far earlier in his career. This was now gradually draw- 

 ing to a close, with Flatman in the place of Rogers as the 

 jockey of the stable, and Red Hart to win the Welcome, 

 the Gratwicke, and the Duke Michael. The ticklish Red 

 Hind, too, gave poor Nat a deal of trouble, and about 

 the last great race his Grace won at home was the Ches- 

 terfield Cup in 1852 with Harbinger. The next season 

 saw him out, and Pharos was one of the last horses that 

 ever carried his colours to the post. Following the ex- 

 ample of Lord George, the Duke made an offer of his 

 stud in a lot to Messrs. Payne and Greville, but it was 

 not closed with ; and towards the end of 1853 he sold five 

 of his brood mares — Refraction, Cuckoo, Officious, Reel, 

 and another to M. Lupin, for France. The horses in 

 training were brought to the hammer in the succeeding 

 spring, since when the Duke never had a racehorse. Lords 

 Henry and Alexander Lennox occasionally kept a nag or 



