Page images
PDF
EPUB

find his Royal Highness a winner of 26 races, including the Petworth and Somerset stakes, and the gold cup at Brighton, the Craven and October Oatlands at Newmarket, and the Welter at Bibury. Amount of winning, exclusive of the above stakes and plates, 3,995 guineas.

From 1807 there was a long chasm to 1827, when we again find the Prince, as King of England, patronising the turf. But the royal star was not in the ascendancy, for from that year until 1830 we only see his Majesty's name as winner of 21 races, including 2 Goodwood and 3 other cups, 3 King's plates, 2 Oatlands, 2 Cravens, the Swinley, Windsor Forest, Somersetshire stakes at Bath, and Royal stakes at Ascot (9 subscribers, 100 sovs. each.) Amount of winning, exclusive of the above, 1,645 guineas.

Taking the entire period of twenty years that his Majesty was upon the turf, we find the following results, independent, as a matter of course (we mean no pun), of private bets:-His Majesty won 313 races, including 1 Derby, 30 King's plates, 10 cups, 7 Oatlands, 5 Cravens, 1 Claret, &c., &c. Amount of winning, exclusive of the above stakes and plates, 44,628 guineas. Add to this the average value of the plates and stakes won, say 13,000 guineas, and the "tottle of the whole," as a worthy M.P. calls it, would be 57,628 guineas.

The sailor king, William the Fourth, although not fond of racing, patronised Ascot, and encouraged sport by giving a grand annual dinner to the members of the Jockey Club. Queen Victoria has also contributed much to the success of the turf, by giving an increased number of royal plates, by honouring Epsom with her presence, accompanied by her illustrious consort, and by attending Ascot, and having Windsor Castle full of company during that meeting. It is a gorgeous sight to see St. George's Hall arranged for a large banquet, and a party of a hundred sitting down to dinner, served with as much attention and comfort as if it were only "a round table of eight." The Queen, too, and her illustrious consort, seem to take a great interest in the sports of the field, for we find that the newspapers have lately teemed with the following paragraph:

"Since her Majesty has possessed her admirable little pack of beagles, her Majesty has been prevented from hunting with her Lilliputian and highly-bred pack during great portions of the regular season. This year, however, her Majesty has signified her intention to hunt with the royal beagles occasionally, in the Great Park, Mr. Maynard having received his royal mistress's commands to this effect. The little pack has had several beautiful trial runs within the past ten days, and it is now in first-rate condition. When her Majesty takes the field, bagged hares will always be at hand, in order to insure sport in the event of not being successful in an early find. The Queen, it is well-known, is an excellent rider."

In addition to this, we find accounts of Prince Albert's sport with the harriers, in the neighbourhood of Windsor; as also a description of his Royal Highness's prowess in the fields of Leicestershire during her Majesty's late visit to Belvoir Castle. The Queen, too, seems to take the greatest interest in the "noble science," having upon two

occasions attended the "meets" of the Belvoir Hounds, during her Majesty's short séjour in Leicestershire.

Before we conclude this subject, we may mention the names of the most celebrated horses imported by our ancestors with a view to improve their breed. "Turkish:-The Helmsley Turk, Placès white Turk, Lister Turk, Byerley Turk, D'Arcy's white Turk, D'Arcy's yellow Turk, Sellaby, Honeywood, Arabian, Belgrade Turk. From the coast of Barbary:-Dodsworth, Greyhound, with his sire (Chillaby), and dam (Moonah), Curwen's bay Barb, the Thoulouse Barb, the Compton Barb."-Osmer's Treatise on the Horse.

With regard to our continental neighbours, we find that Louis XIV., despite of his bigoted feelings and inordinate ambition, was fond of the chase, and lays claim to a place among the royal sportsmen; for we find, in "James's Life and Times" of this monarch, the following passage:-"The mornings of many of the king's days, after the business of the state was over, were passed either in inspecting public works, &c., &c., or else in the manly sports of the field, in which he was extremely prompt and dexterous. It happened, indeed, that more than once Louis saved himself, and the ladies who generally accompanied him, from the rage of the stag or boar, rendered furious by the dogs, through his skill and presence of

mind."

According to a celebrated French writer, the taste, or rather the passion for horses, which ceased with the age of tournaments, revived about the middle of the last century, and it was about that period that the first attempt at racing after the English manner took place in France. This was brought about by a bet being laid by an Englishman that he would ride from Fontainebleau to the Barrière des Gobelins in two hours: our countryman won it by some minutes. The following year, a French seigneur, upon his return from England (where Louis XV. declared he had only been to learn to dress horses) established some races in Paris, and tried to continue them periodically, but the project failed, and it was not until some years after, that regular meetings were established at Vincennes. Since that period racing has made a wonderful stride in France, and although we do not go the lengths of the author above quoted, that in due course of time they (the French) may perhaps, breed horses to "flog" us (as the Yankees say), we are most willing to award them all due credit for the great improvement they have made in their breed and management of horses, and for their advancement in the sports of the field and upon the turf.

39

ON TRAINING THE RACE-HORSE.

BY COTHERSTONE.

How ruinous the rock I warn thee shun,
Where sirens sit to sing thee to thy fate!
A joy which in our reason bears no part
Is but a sorrow tickling ere it stings.
Let not the cooings of the world allure thee-
Which of her lovers ever found her true?
Happy of this bad world who little know;
And yet we much must know her, to be safe.

CHAPTER IX.—THE LIFE AND ATTRIBUTES OF A TRAINER.

There are few occupations in life more difficult to fill with repute than the one now under consideration. Independently of the experience necessary to bring all sorts of horses to the post in their best possible condition, a trainer, if he is expected to attain the higher gradations of his calling, must possess many qualifications which, in fact, are very seldom found to be concentrated in one individual, let his station in life be what it may. The temptations which will at times assail him on every side require that he should be endowed with the strictest principles of honour and honesty.

"O, how portentous is prosperity!

How, comet-like, it threatens while it shines!"

It is far more difficult to stem the current of prosperity, whensoever it may set in, than to combat with adversity, which teaches man to know himself. Shakspeare very truly says-

"Sweet are the uses of adversity;

Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head."

In the racing world the vicissitudes and changes of fortune are often very great, and consequently require men of the strongest minds to withstand their effects; for this reason so few have ever arrived at and maintained the higher stations of this dangerous and treacherous vocation.

It is scarcely possible to find, during any age, two such men as the great rivals of the north and south-John Scott and John Day. I introduce them here by way of exemplifying the fact, that they have arrived at and maintained a superiority in their art far beyond that which any other men have done; this they have accomplished because they have been gifted with strength of mind superior to their fellows. It is not that their method of training has been better than that of some others-neither were they sent forth into the world with

E

education beyond those in the same class of life; but they both possess energies of body and mind, combined with practical experience, of a very superior degree. I could name one or two others who have had equal, if not greater, opportunities of mounting the ladder of eminence, and, indeed, who had at one time ascended to the summit, but I have no desire to wound the feelings of any man; I therefore refrain from inserting their names, because they could not preserve the station which they once acquired: elated by success, they suffered themselves to be led away with an impression that it was to last for ever; moreover, they thought that all who courted their society and flattered them in their prosperity were their friends, little dreaming that certain individuals whom they cherished were plotting how to transfer their wealth out of their hands.

"Self-flattered, unexperienced, high in hope,

When young, with sanguine cheer and streamers gay,
We cut our cable, launch into the world,

And fondly dream each wind and star our friend:

All in some darling enterprise embarked

But where is he can fathom its event?

Amid a multitude of artless hands

Ruin's sure perquisite, her lawful prize,

Some steer aright; but the black blast blows hard
And puffs them wide of hope: with hearts of proof,
Full against wind and tide, some win their way;
And when strong effort has deserved the port,
And tugg'd it into view-'tis won, 'tis lost."

Of the two, the duties of a private and those of a public trainer, the burden falls comparatively easy on the shoulders of the former. The care of the horses which he has to superintend, and the interest of one master only, are the subjects which he has to study; but a public trainer has many employers to please and many interests to consult, which renders it in many instances a difficult, indeed often a very arduous, task to perform, and at the same time to steer clear of the dangers which surround him. Too true it is that all men have their enemies, and those are the most dangerous who ingratiate themselves under the specious mask of friendship. A man having the management of several horses, the property of various parties, is constantly supposed likely to take advantage of the knowledge which he has unquestionably the power of acquiring, that of trying them together, and by withholding the result of his trials from the proprietors, evidently creates a feeling of dissatisfaction. Some gentlemen send their horses to public trainers, in preference to employing their own individual servants, for the express purpose of availing themselves of the opportunity which may offer of having them tried; others again revolt at the idea; nevertheless, if the latter happen to have a colt of any superior pretensions, it is most probable his merits will be ascertained "on the sly" in some way or other; nor can a trainer be much blamed under such circumstances, and if he neglected to avail himself of knowledge which he can, in all probability, turn to his account without manifestly injuring any one, the term of fool would be more applicable to him than that of rogue.

The mind of a suspicious man is easily poisoned, and there are not wanting individuals ready enough to create dissatisfaction on the part

of owners of horses, if they can turn their treachery to advantage. The eyes of the public are so constantly on the look-out to discover, if possible, the merits and condition of any horses that may be engaged in good stakes, that any ruse which a trainer may with great justice adopt to frustrate the objects which the impertinent curiosity of such persons not connected with the stable has in view, may not improbably, through the aid of falsehood, be turned very seriously to his disadvantage. It is often a difficult matter for the most conscientious to steer clear of calumny. If truth alone could be opposed to truth, the honest man would have nothing to apprehend, but it is too often the casc that

"Malice bears down truth."

There are no companions so dangerous for a trainer to become the associate of as the betting-men; they will court his society, flatter him in every way, and ingratiate themselves into his confidence, from most ostensible and palpable reasons-those of acquiring information; which if they cannot succeed in doing, they will be the first to circulate unfounded and malicious reports against the trainer, and it is impossible to determine to what extent those reports will prevail or the credit they may receive. It is not reasonable to suppose that an individual who will risk the sinking of his own character, will be very scrupulous about the reputation of another, providing it suits his purpose to vilify his companion. They do not adopt these words of Dryden as their motto

"In my wretched case, 'twould be more just

Not to have promised, than deceive your trust."

It is not merely the fact of a man conscientiously performing his duty, and trusting to the reward of his own merit as evidence of his integrity, that will be sufficient to protect him from the malice of the world and the assaults of calumny. I do not mean to

recommend him to practise hypocrisy, for that is one of the most hateful attributes that a man can possess, but he must bear in mind how applicable these lines are to his case

"Give me good fame, ye powers, and make me just :
This much the rogue to public ears will trust."

Independently of the various duties of the stable, which it is the trainer's office to superintend, he has many others to perform, one of which-by no means an unimportant one, and which requires considerable tact and knowledge-is that of directing trials; for the sake of future reference and information, every trial should be entered in a book kept for the purpose, showing the weights, the manner in which it is run, and the result, with a column for miscellaneous remarks, such as the condition of any particular horse, his temper, or any other circumstance that may attract notice at the time he is tried; such memoranda will be found exceedingly useful, especially where there are many horses to attend it, as it is impossible that any man can charge his memory with such multitudinous events as must of necessity occur to him; neither is it necessary that he should impose such a task upon himself, when he can so readily and with so much

« PreviousContinue »