I20 TJie Pytchley Himty Past and Present, [chap, iv 



endearing nature. How two men so opposite in dis- 

 position could have worked together so amicably was a 

 matter of surprise to the friends of each. One silent and 

 morose, and constantly regretting that he did not " shake 

 the straw of the racing-stable from off his feet_, and turn 

 his mind to more worthy objects ; '^ the other always 

 cheery, loving everything connected with the turf, and 

 apparently perfectly satisfied with the course he was pur- 

 suing. The first the least, the second the most popular 

 man in England ; and yet they got on together as though 

 they were made for each other. Mr. Greville owned many 

 a good horse during his career ; the best of which were 

 '^ Pussy,'' winner in 1834 of the ''Oaks/' '^ Mango " of 

 the '' St. Leger/' '' Ariosto," " Muscovite," and '' Alarm." 

 Had the latter proved successful in the Derby of 1852, 

 which he undoubtedlv would have been had he not been 

 kicked by another horse at the starting-post and rendered 

 hors-de-comhatj Mr. Payne would have been thirty 

 thousand pounds richer than he was before the race. 

 Undoubtedly the best horse of his year, "Alarm'' 

 afterwards won the " Cambridgeshire " under a heavy 

 weight, thereby rendering the disappointment of tte 

 ''Derby" all the keener. '^ Welfare," " Clementina,'^ 

 ''Ascot," " Glauca," " The Trapper," '' Glendower," all 

 ran in the ''black and white check" so familiar to the 

 eye of turfites ; and all lay claim to a certain amount 

 of merit ; but it was of the degree usually disastrous to 

 owners — good enough to back, but not good enough to 

 win when most wanted. 



During an unusually long career on the turf, Mr. 

 Payne cannot be said to have possessed one horse of 

 first-rate powers, unless " Musket," a legacy from his 



