'TRIPOLI 1 IN THE FEATHER PLATE. 93 



following year, carrying a real feather — not a 7st. 10 lb. 

 one ; but to his lordship's unutterable disgust the 

 public had the money, as whenever he wanted to 

 back him, at whatever price, there was always some 

 one before him offering to take it, or a less price ; 

 though after all he only won by a head, beating my 

 brother-in-law Wm. Sadler's mare, Bellissima, which 

 I rode, carrying 7 st. 13 lb. 



There is no doubt that many of his lordship's 

 horses, with his knowledge, ran unprepared, for the 

 purpose of deceiving, not only the world at large, 

 but his friends also, in order that on a future and 

 fixed occasion he might reap alone the full reward 

 of this policy. Indeed, he was frank enough to say, 

 perhaps not altogether without reason : ' If you wish 

 to have anything made public write it to your friend 

 in confidence — everyone will soon hear of it.' To 

 prove his predilection for this curious method, it is 

 only needful to refer to the in and out running of a 

 few of his horses. Gaper, for instance, the sensa- 

 tional Derby favourite of 1843, in the previous year 

 ran last in his first race and first in his last race, 

 notwithstanding that in the latter ran Cotherstone 

 himself, who afterwards won the Derby. Who can 

 reconcile this difference ? Again, Miss Elis, in 

 1844, as a two-year-old, ran five races, and was 

 beaten in every one of them — though to save appear- 

 ances she won a little match carrying 5 st. — and in 

 the following year ran equally badly until she reached 



