Sixty Years on the Turf

S I X T Y Y E A R S O N T H E T U R F T H E L I F E A N D T I M E S G E O R G E H O D G M A N 1 8 4 0- 1 9 00 E DI TE D BY R W R C H A L E S R. AR E N WI T H I L L UST R A T I ON S L O N D O N G R A N T R I C I tL A R D S 19m S I X T Y Y E A R S T H E T U R F T H E L I F E A N D T I M E S G E O R G E H O D G M A N 1 8 4 0—1 9 00 EDI TE D BY C H A R L E S R . W AR R E N WI T H I L L US T R A T I ON S L O N D O N G R A N T R I C H A R D S 1 901 P R E F A C E L ON G prefaces nowadays are companions in mis f f — in O . ortune long sermons being out of date Nor , unless the preface bear to the book the importance ’ the postscript does usually to the lady s letter , is the , so to speak , preliminary or explanatory notice of s much purpose . Still a few words of why thi “ book of Reminiscences came to be written , and how it was put into shape , may be held pardonable . - Mr . Hodgman is now in his seventy seventh year , an d for over sixty seasons has he been associated actively with the Turf. In that considerable period h e has met , naturally , all sorts and conditions of ” men , and stored in a marvellous memory is a rare harvest of anecdote , from which , in paddock or at - dinner table , he has drawn for the amusement of his friends , many of whom , time back , pleaded the desirability of publication . Mr . Hodgman , however , was not in a mood for the pen , and perhaps would never have seriously regarded the idea but for the R insistence of the late Lord ussell of Killowen . P REFA C E Two years ago at Ascot his lordship , who was one ’ H od man s of Mr . g best friends , seized the occasion “ ” to test his memory by leading questions . He received such an avalanche of anecdote that he turned to Mr . Hodgman and said , Hodgman , you ” I f ought to publish your Reminiscences . I did , ” “ my lord , was the answer , I should need the help of one or two like you to put them together . And that should be no trouble . You really ought to publish . Nor is it too much to say that had Lord Russell been spared he would have stood sponsor for the volume . ’ Helen s babies wanted to see the works go round , and the Turf world may be similarly curious as to how the ensuing pages were compiled . Briefly , S then , I have pent some three months with Mr . Hodgman , taken note of his reminiscences , and welded them into some degree of cohesion . I wish to add that the chapter on the Jockeys was penned some time ago. This I mention because ” “ 8 1901 I notice in the Sheet Calendar of March , , licences were recorded as taken out for over a hundred apprentices . Apparently the policy of ” drifting has recei ved a check . It remains to be seen whether the lost ground can be recovered . S W E . R RR CHA . A N . C O N T E N T S CH AP TE R I — — — Early days A useful reminder Rogu es an d rascals My fi rst book “ — “ F t r to - I wi n on Mr T i m l an d H o t ea he s sell a p y . Ke ly p, s ep, — “ — — ’ an d a j ump I wi n a cen tury Kelly advi ses Lon don T attersall s — — Yard on S u n days C aurouch for th e Cesarewitch of 1847 1 leave — — Ramsgate for L on don Sweeps an d lotteries I draw th e C ur ’ o on m r r t r 1848 — S t but oo C l el Peel s Ca b idgeshi e h ee ( ) mall s akes, g d — — raci n g Lenien t handi cappi n g ; n o stakes Derby and Oaks winn ers i n 100 n t 9- 19 gui eas Pla e Pp . CHAPTE R I I — ’ — Finan cial reverses Flyin g Dutchman s Derby A dread of Derbies ’ ”— ’ — Layers of safe un s Bon Mot s Live rpool Summer C u p A home — — made guide P ro fit therefrom A ru n from B edford Racecourse to — — — B letchley T h e C ambridgeshire of 1851 A n ear prophecy A Good — — Friday visit to Newmarket Con cern i n g Weath ergage A Derby — — “ ” — throw n away Objecti on s to Plaiti n g A tip for Stockwell His — “ ”— Derby defeat Davies T h e Leviathan His heavy losses over ’ — — 20—35 Dani el O Rourke T h e turn of th e tide My fi rst racehorse Pp . CHAPT E R I I I “ — - Davi es T h e Levi athan His humble start His letter i n retiremen t — — Derby an d Oaks losses A won derfu l A sc ot A h equin e battle ’ — — Davi es s character T h e man w h o could n ot whistle A cciden t an d — 36—42 assault A sad end Pp. CHAPTE R I V — — — A dmi ral Rous Han dicappers of to - day Their disabilities My first bet — with the A dmiral Youn g Imp u den ce Puttin g weight on Gridiron ’ — n n d — u rs — Mr Dorlin s on o Ha dicappi g at i nn er T h e Derby c o e . g ec my ’ ’ — r n t - Mr ou n n f H e s r to o o A p eve ed s . R s s Opi io o myself su e d y u — ’ — — bet i n th e dark T he A dmiral s testimon ial H ow conceived A n t 43- 56 o able men u Pp . C ONTENTS CHAPTE R V — “ ’ — — r S Mr. D Orsa r A r t r A om on M . ykes y Cla k Cesa ewi ch T ial c missi — A n nt tr n r Mr S at E m— A r ou saved eglige ai e . ykes gha dmi al R s — — ’ — n r r S ver su Rob ill M or B r zon t Mr . a ge ed M . ykes s g aj aba s be s — — — Greville A close character His Muscovite bets Perkin s pockets — ” — same Mr . Shelley I n th e wron g B oat E1even thousan d poun ds 5 — 0 posted Pp . 7 7 CHAPTE R VI ’ — — - Wild Dayrell s Derby His n obblin g arran ged H ow prevented A ’ o t “ — — — c s ly gettin g ou t Palmer th e P oison er Marlow s Opin i on Mr. — — ’ Fred Swin dell readied Saved by the success of Doubt C ockburn s r u — 1— 8 g im ass rance Wh o set th e law in motion Pp . 7 7 CHAPTE R VI I — — r o T h e t of t nt r Un in n r - r Vi ag bes filly las ce u y placed a selli g ace M . — — William Day i n error Heavy C hester C up bettin g T h e han dicapper — awake C ity an d S u b u rban an d Great Metrop olitan won on on e day ’ ’ — r o E r — h t — Mr rt tt r Vi ag s psom t ial T e real weigh s . Lambe s le e “ — — Somethin g ou t of Virago Lord Glasgow In sisten ce on more “ ’ t— on t h esi tate to oot —A or S tu rd on th e weigh D . sh mem able a ay t — n for 9— Hea h Raci g Life Pp . 7 90 CHAPTE R VIII Drin kald— ntr tt r — h I B o r o for th e t His ecce ic a i e W y laid ia d S . — — Leger of 1854 A ri ot at Don caster T he fightin g brothers B roome — B lack Tommy an d th e Derby T en T hou san d p oun ds to a sui t of ’ ’ t — M Drin kald s tt r — B n B onn tr — T h e r clo hes r . bi e pill li k y s iumph Lege ’ ’ D — r Swi n dell s — T he son on r — r or efeat M . advice Jack c fede acy P i ess s — — - Cesarewitch A dead heat be tween three A chan ge of j ockeys an d of — — “ ” result My opin i on of Fordham H ow C aptain Little kidded him ’ ’ — - - Heiress s defeats Dulcibella s C esarewitch H er previ ous run n in g 91— 2 Ladies i n hidi n g Pp .

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