SPORT by such men as Mr. J. S. Douglas, whose trainer was Drewitt. His horses were gener- ally ridden by Fordham who rode the Squire of Lenham's Derby favourite, Tournament, at Epsom in Blink Bonny's year (1857), and if the horse was unsuccessful on that occa- sion the famous jockey rode him to victory in many another race worth winning. Nearer London, flat races took place at Bromley, Eltham, Lee, Sheppey, Meopham, Woolwich, Gravesend, Blackheath, and Farn- ingham, of which meetings, with the exception of Bromley, there is very little to be said. This meeting was at one time one of the most flourishing in the county, its name first appear- ing in the Racing Calendar in the year 1851. In the beginning, however, fortune did not smile upon the venture, and it died an early death, to be revived with better success in 1864. From that year until 1878, when it was finally abolished, the Bromley meeting had a prosperous career, and many a lively scene was witnessed on this popular course. It cannot be said that the horses which figured at the Bromley meetings, either on the flat or in the jumping events, were of exceptional class, and the only Grand National winner that we can discover as having competed on this course was Austerlitz, which won that race in 1877. But the names of well-known owners were always to be found on the card, and some of the best professional and amateur jockeys of the day were usually to be seen at Bromley. As a popular gather- ing this little meeting was always a great success and many were the regrets when, owing to various causes, the Bromley fixture had to be given up. The Canterbury meeting always com- manded the best attendance of notable horses, and the King's and Her late Majesty's Plates were, with few exceptions, well sup- ported. These events were the annual autumn attraction on the race-course on Bar- ham Downs, which adjoin the village of Bridge, about a mile and a half from the old cathedral city. We can only discover a single royal entry for the Canterbury Plates, — in 1806, when the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV, won the event of that year by a walk-over with Barbarossa. From 1739 until 1852 these royal grants were decided in two or more heats. The first on record, as we have said, was a walk-over ; but Rockingham, the St. Leger winner, won one of these plates in the colours of Mr. Theobald, the owner of Stock- well, in 1834, and walked over for a second prize in the following year. Red Deer, the Chester Cup winner of 1844, was successful in the Duke of Richmond's colours in 1845 ; and in 1851, the last year in which the races were decided in heats, a most popular local victory was achieved by Firebolt, belonging at that time to Mr. Richardson and ridden by a son of C. Hornsby, who trained hard by at Bridge. The little Kentish village was then and has been since the home of many a famous trainer and jockey. Besides the Hornsbys, there lived there the Tom Browns, father and son, the latter of whom afterwards took up his quarters at Newmarket ; Fred Webb, who is said to have dreamt that he won the Derby in Doncaster's year (1873), and had the satisfaction of seeing his dream realized ; and the Sherrards, of whom the present Whitsbury trainer, after riding with con- siderable success at most of the county meet- ings and elsewhere, prepared racers and steeplechasers at Bridge for Lord Conyngh^m and others. One of Sherrard's most famous charges, the property of Lord Conyngham, vas a horse called Derby Day, ■svho after winning a number of races on the flat essayed a Grand National, being ridden on that occasion by Richard Marsh, another man of Kent, who is the present trainer to His Majesty the King. Marsh was born at Smeeth on Christmas Day, 1854, ^"'^ Kent may indeed lay claim to him, for the county of his birth saw the opening of his career in the saddle when at Dover races in 1863 Marsh won his first race on the old course. Kent is also closely associated with another prominent figure in connexion with His Majesty's racing career, for at Chilham Castle near Canterbury, on 7 September i860, was born Mr. T. Lushington, who not only has worn the royal colours on several occasions in welter races, but had the entire charge of Ambush II when he won the Liverpool Grand National of 1900. At the present time (1907) Mr. Lushington has more than one of His Majesty's horses under his care at the Curragh. In the year 1852 the Canterbury Queen's Plate was reduced to a single heat, and as a result of this change better horses were seen in subsequent years in the list of starters. Mention need only be made of a few of the more famous winners : Mr. Thellusson's Rataplan won in 1855 ; Winslow, the Royal Hunt Cup winner, was steered to victory at Canterbury in 1873 by Fordham ; and that beautiful mare Lilian, which won for her owner, Mr. Savile, forty-six races in all, including twenty-nine Queen's Plates, had a walk-over at Canterbury in 1874. The next year Lilian was beaten over the same course, with odds of 3 to i laid on her 495
