SIR GILBERT HEATHCOTE. 155 



Of another of the worthies of old, Sir Gilbert 

 Heathcote, I feel bound to record my humble testi- 

 mony in praise of an honourable career and many 

 acts of unselfishness. He was quite one of the old 

 'top-booted ' school in dress and manners; a thorough 

 Englishman of the best caste. He raced for the love 

 of the sport entirely, and for nothing else. He had 

 several horses, which were trained by Mr. Sherwood 

 on Epsom Downs, the stables being situated on the 

 hill opposite to the Grand Stand. His best horse, or 

 the one that did him the most good, and afforded him 

 the greatest amount of pleasure, was Amato, with 

 which he won the Derby in the year 1838. Strange 

 to say the horse was evidently lame at the time, like 

 Phosphorus, who won it the preceding year. If Sir 

 Gilbert betted at all, it was merely for the sake of 

 backing his opinion. When he won, he generally 

 gave the stakes to the poor in his neighbourhood, 

 thouo-h he did not forget to reward both his trainer 

 and his jockey. 



Sir Gilbert was one esteemed by all, acquaintances 

 or friends. He lived at ' The Durdans ' near Epsom, 

 which Lord Rosebery has recently bought, and 

 where his lordship now resides. I should, perhaps, 

 tell that, besides his freehold estates, the late baronet 

 held some leasehold property on rather curious 

 terms. On the death of either of the tenants, not 

 only was a stipulated payment to be made, but also 

 a heriot in the good old form ; that is a tribute, not 



