A CHROXICLE OF THE DERBY. 287 



members of the aristocracy. Lords Sligo, G. Caven- 

 dish, Exeter, Sefton, Grosvenor, and Egremont ran 

 horses in the race. Previous to the day appointed for 

 the contest, there had been many ups and downs in 

 the betting, horses having been brought prominently 

 forward in the market and quoted at short prices that 

 liad no chance to win. No ])revious Derby had shown 

 in the market quotations so many 'first favourites,' 

 and at such long odds. And to show the slings and 

 arrows of the outrageous fortune v.diich oftentimes 

 attend the efforts of backers, it may be here re- 

 corded that Cant, which was heavily backed, and 

 might have won, died before the race could be run. 

 The King's Electress colt was another good one which 

 might have shown prominently during the struggle, 

 but death intervened in this case also. Lord Exeter 

 was owner of the colt Avhich enjoyed the pride of 

 place at the start, while the handsome odds of 33 to 1 

 might have been got about Frederick, the Avinner. 

 Quoting from a writer of the period, the following 

 paragraph on the subject of tlie betting on this Derby, 

 which from its commencement up to the Newmarket 

 Craven Meeting possessed an extraordinary character, 

 will be found interesting : ' On former occasions it was 

 thought wisest to back winners, but speculation, like 

 the times, has brought about quite a new thing in the 

 art of making a book. Nowadays, forsooth, it is 

 looked upon as the safest to select the favourites from 

 the crowd of beaten horses, or horses from bad or un- 

 lucky stables. For instance, they (the bettors) picked 

 out Canvass, Luss, Prince Eugene, Brother to Moses, 

 etc., upon whom they laid it on pretty strong, havino- 



