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running and won easily by twelve lengths. As Lord George predicted, Bramble became first favourite for the Chester Cup, being in at 7 st. 9 lb. and 4 years old, Scott's party backing him stoutly. "Those who like may back Red Deer," said they, "but Bramble will win." John Day's party also backed the latter, remembering how easily he beat Ben-y-ghlo and Vitula at Bath the year before.

As Red Deer could beat Bramble at one half the weight he had to give him-viz., 3 st. 9 lb.-his Lordship stood a heavy stake against Bramble, and felt much alarmed when he saw him gallop at Chester; but I assured him he had no earthly chance of giving the weight to Red Deer, unless the latter fell down. Few

if

any other owners would, however, have started Bramble under the circumstances, and allowed the public to have a run for their money, when it would have been so easy to put the pen through the horse's name. As Red Deer belonged to the Duke of Richmond, and Bramble to Lord George, it was impossible to declare to win with the former.

Rumours being rife that some foul play might be attempted, as such reports were frequently circulated in connection with races upon which there had been much heavy speculation, I deemed it advisable to lead Red Deer to the post myself, not feeling disposed to intrust so important and responsible a task to any one else. The field

being so large and the circular course so narrow, the horses were started in two lines. Having Bramble and Best Bower in the race as well as Red Deer, I placed the two former horses immediately in front of Red Deer, and instructed their jockeys to let Red Deer pass between them as soon as the flag fell. It was with no little difficulty that I was able to retain hold of the horse, and avoid being run over or kicked, as Red Deer was of a free and rather nervous tem

perament. If he had once broken away with such a tiny jockey upon his back, I thought it most improbable that he would ever get to the starting-post again. At last a start was effected, when Red Deer, after making two or three vigorous plunges, passed between Bramble and Best Bower, and took up the running at such a terrific pace that he was soon many lengths in advance of everything in the race, and ultimately won by a dozen lengths, running on to the Dee side before Kitchener could pull him up. So dense was the crowd round him, and so great the enthusiasm, that it was feared an attempt might be made to displace the tiny jockey. With all possible haste, therefore, I made my way to him, and succeeded in getting hold of the bridle and in leading the winner back to the weighing-place, but not till long after all the other jockeys had weighed and the horses had left the course. It will readily be imagined that the announcement

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"All right!" was an inexpressible relief to me. The prevailing opinion that the Chester course was the most unfavourable one in England for such a horse and jockey, in which opinion Lord George Bentinck fully concurred, proved quite the reverse of the truth, as it was really equivalent to turning the horse loose in a circus from which there was no escape. Instead of a race, it bore more resemblance to a "Red Deer chase," and every arrangement connected with this remarkable event appeared to have been thought out and brought off to perfection.

Upon the return home of Red Deer in his van he was met at the Fareham station by a large number of people amid great rejoicings. At the next stage, Havant, the landlord (Mr Lock), who enjoyed the lucrative privilege of supplying posthorses for all the vans and chaises from Goodwood to Fareham and back, was desirous of adding emphasis to the general jubilations by decorating his horses and the post-boys with a profusion of the victorious colours. At Chichester the van was met by many of the citizens, with flags and banners bearing the well-known yellow and scarlet colours. The enthusiasm and cheering were as great as when the news of the glorious victory of Waterloo was received in 1815. At Goodwood Lodge gates the Chester party found a well-constructed set of rope - harness, with poles, &c., in readiness, and fifty or sixty stable

men and lads waiting to take the place of the post-horses, which were soon detached. The twolegged substitutes made their way with perfect ease to the Goodwood stables, delighted at the good fortune of the Duke of Richmond, the universally popular owner of the horse. If, indeed, I were to say "beloved," I should not exaggerate the prevailing sentiment entertained towards that estimable nobleman.

Lord George Bentinck started the horses at Chester, consisting of a field of twenty-six; and with a view to helping the tiny jockey, Kitchener, who weighed only 3 st. 4 lb., Red Deer made strong running, and won very easily, much to the gratification of his Lordship, who immediately despatched a messenger to Goodwood to communicate the result to their Graces. The news, however, had been received there many hours earlier, by means of carrier-pigeons sent by me from the course, unknown to any one except my father, so as to avoid disappointment should the pigeons fail to reach home. Upon the race Lord George won a large stake, and stated to me in a letter that he got every farthing due to him, much to his own surprise, as on no previous occasion had he escaped loss from defaulters when betting on the same scale.

CHAPTER VI.

LORD GEORGE'S SUPPORT OF GOODWOOD RACES.

PREVIOUS to 1841, when Lord George Bentinck transferred his race-horses from Danebury to Goodwood, he had taken great interest in the Goodwood race-course, and, in conjunction with the Duke of Richmond, had in many ways improved it and its stands. In order to relieve the congestion of traffic flowing through Goodwood Park during the race week, he increased the approaches to the grand stand by making two new roads, one on each side of the park. Subsequently he discovered that the last half-mile of the course was not so elastic as he wished, especially in dry seasons. was newly made ground, and the soil under the turf had been laid on loose chalk, through which the mould percolated and was carried down after heavy rain, so that the turf subsided in many places. Under these circumstances the Duke of Richmond and Lord George caused four inches of fine mould to be laid upon the old turf, right across

It