te
for training horses.

To his honour, be it said, he exercised a powerful influence in
endeavouring to rid horse-racing of some of its worst features, and
incurred the hostility of the cheats and rogues which have at all times
been associated with it.

Finding that a check was being put upon their operations, the welshing
fraternity assumed a virtuous attitude and actually put into operation
an old statute passed in the reign of Queen Anne, which enabled any
private informer to sue and recover treble the amount of a bet made over
and above L10. Six writs were served upon Lord George and six upon his
partner, Mr. Bowes, in the year 1843, but the plantiff failed to prove
the making of the bets and it is obvious that the statute was
unworkable. The attempt to put it into force merely shows the condition
of racing at the time and the opposition which men who were honourable
in their motives had to meet with in their efforts to guard it against
reproach, as far as their sporting instincts allowed them.

In 1844 Lord George had as many as thirty-eight horses running in races,
and his estimated expenses in 1845 for sixty horses in training were
about L40,000, while, the value of the stakes was about L18,000, so that
to make racing pay he had to rely upon the success of his betting
transactions.

Disraeli called him the "Lord Paramount of the British Turf," which well
described his ascendency at the time.

Notwithstanding the magnitude of his bets, Lord George was always cool
in temperament while other men who, though they might be quite able to
stand a loss, were full of nervous excitement when only a small sum was
risked.

He kept on terms of affection with his mother and sisters and he could
always rely upon the Duchess for help when his racing extravagances had
led him too far.

Lord George was over six feet in stature and his figure was handsome and
distinguished. His style of dress was according to the best canons of
fashion, elegant and fastidious. A long gold chain was looped upon the
breast of his waistcoat and with it he wore costly jewels. He had a new
satin scarf of cream colour every day, although the cost of each was
about a sovereign.

A frock coat and tall beaver hat completed his costume. His race-course
attire consisted of a green coat, top boots and buckskin breeches.

When in Nottinghamshire he used to hunt with the Bufford hounds and kept
his hunters at Welbeck.

He was a Freemason, though h