62 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



other professional turfites miglit be bracketed with 

 thera. 



General Peel, whose name was at one time a tower 

 of strength in racing circles, kept a stud of horses, and 

 in his early days was a heavy speculator at Tattersalls' 

 and in the ring. The General was the very soul of 

 honour, and when, at the ripe old age of eighty years* 

 he shuffled off his mortal coil, he was generally re- 

 gretted. The Earl of Wilton, who for a long period 

 Avas an honour to the turf, died eight years ago (1882), 

 after having attained to the venerable age of eighty- 

 two. That nobleman was an all-round sportsman of 

 great ability, and was rich in the possession of numer- 

 ous fi-iends, Kotices of Mr. John Bowes, Avho was 

 fortunate enough to -win the Derby on four occasions, 

 Mr. James Merry, the ' Scottish ironmaster,' Mr. 

 Stirling Crawford, and Mr. Saville, might have been 

 included in these rather brief memoranda, not to speak 

 of Lord Falmouth, and the Dukes of Westminster and 

 Portland, each of whom have boon recipients of the 

 r>lue Ribbon on two occasions. 



Enough has probably now been revealed to show by 

 •whom the fortunes of the British turf have been so 

 securely built up, and the quality of the British race- 

 horse at least maintained, if not improved, although 

 many names of good men are doubtless wanting in 

 the narrative. 



