243 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



Derby was won by a horse belonging to the noblemin 

 who originated the contest, or, at all events, after 

 whom it was named. Ho had courted fortune previ- 

 ously, with King William in 1781, and with Dancer 

 and Collector in 1784, but without success. He was 

 more fortunate in the Oaks, 'The Garter' havInGf 

 fallen to him the first time of asking, and again in 

 ] 794. The Earl only secured one Derby, but he ran 

 third in 1790, with Lee Boo, and secured the same 

 place with Bustard in 1792 ; in the following year 

 his lordship's horse. Kidney, was unplaced, and in 

 1801 his g. c., by Sir Peter, was placed seventh in 

 Orton's lii:t of runners. That the twelfth Earl of 

 Derby was a famous breeder of horses, a right good 

 sportsman, and one of the ' fine old English country 

 gentlemen ' of his day, there is abundant evidence to 

 show. His lordship lived to the great age of eighty- 

 three years : his personal character has been alluded 

 to in a previous page ; here, however, it Avill be ap- 

 propriate to say something about his stud of horses, 

 and those of them which became distinguished on 

 the turf. It is said that the winner of this j^ear's 

 Derby was named Sir Peter Teazle as a compliment to 

 his Countess, the vivacious and beautiful Miss Farren, 

 whom he elevated from the stage to the peerage, one 

 of whose fine histrionic assumptions was the heroine 

 of Sheridan's most brilliant comedy. Sir Peter, who 

 gained for his lordship ' the Blue Ribbon of the Turf 

 in the year 1787, was descended from the famous 

 Godolphin Arabian. That fine colt was bred by the 

 lord of Knowsley himself, and was renowned for his 

 speed ; he was foaled in 1784, and during his three 



