DERBYANA. 223 



Eatan's owner, into bis s^rave, and helped to ' pile up 

 the agony' in connection with the most notorious 

 Derby on record. It may be newr, to many, perhaps, 

 that Lord Georsfe Bentinck was the originator of the 

 p»resent system of enclosures, of numbering horses on 

 the cards, of telegraphing the starters and jockeys in 

 accordance therewith, and of starting by the flag 

 system. It was at his instigation, too, that the late 

 Mr. Dorlinor formed what was then called the 'New 

 Derby Course,' to distinguish it from the original one, 

 of which the first half-mile was out of sight of the 

 occupants of the stand. Ihe start took place on the 

 other side of Sherwood's house, but in Surplice's year 

 it was altered to this side, and the horses entered the 

 old course near the mile-post, which track continued 

 to be used until the formation of the present ' high- 

 level ' course, owing to what was known as the ' Studd 

 difficulty,' on that gentleman becoming Lord of the 

 Manor of Walton. 



One evening, in the spring of 182S, a small but 

 merry party sat at the dinner-table of that fine old 

 ACheap Derby English gentleman, Lord Egrcmont. The 



Winuer. bottlo was in active circulation, and the 

 good old peer in great glee — his friends around him, 

 and his racehorses the theme. ' What will you do, 

 my lord, with that Young Whalebone weed in the 

 farther paddock ?' quoth one of the guusts. ' Sell 

 him,' was the reply. ' The price ?' ' A hundred and 

 fifty.' ' He is mine !' That ' weed ' was Spaniel, winner 

 of the Derby ! 



From some cause or other Spaniel went so badly in 

 the Derby betting that before the race he retreated 



