The "Old Mortality" of the Turf. 315 



Ring had risen so high in 18 17, when Moly- 

 neux was open to ' fight any man born of 

 woman bar Tom Crib,' that the first wits of 

 the day flocked round Incledon at Tom's 

 anniversary tavern dinner near St. James' 

 Square, to hear Edmund Kean return thanks 

 for the Drama and take a second in ' All's 

 Well' It was in this year that the two 

 greatest certainties in the North and South 

 came to naught. The first favourite, Student, 

 was beaten to a standstill at Epsom by his 

 own ' valet ' Azor, and like him, the mighty 

 Blacklock was also snapped by the very last 

 horse in the betting at Doncaster. Still, 

 despite these turns for the fielders, the bett- 

 ing was at least forty per cent, below that of 

 the two preceding sessions. Chester seems 

 to have been the one bright exception. Such 

 was the crush and excitement during the 

 heats, that ' two ladies fainted, and two 

 gentlemen betted over them ; two course- 

 clearers were knocked down, and nobody 

 picked them up.' " 



Nor is there anything better of its kind 

 as exemplifying " The Druid's " unrivalled 

 familiarity with, and accurate reproduction of 



