A Racing “ Stae.” —The star of the race-course was certainly the late Colonel Mellish, the cleverest man of his day, as regards the science and practice of the turf. No one could make matches so well, nor could any one excel him in handicapping horses in races (perhaps Admiral Rous and general Peel were his pupils). He was a clever painter, a fine horseman, a brave soldier, a scientific farmer, and an exquisite coachman : but, as his friends said of him, not content with being the second-best man of Ins day, he would be the first, winch was fatal to his fortune and his fame. It, however, delighted us to see him in public, in the meridian of his almost unequalled popularity. We remember his neat white hat, his white trousers, his white skin stockings, and his pink neckerchief; his blue body-coat and black moustache (then a great novelty) : the like of his style coming on the race course of Newmarket was never witnessed before or since. lie drove his barouche himself, drawn by four beautiful milk-whites, with two outriders on matches to them, ridden in harness-bridles ; in his rear was his saddle-horse groom leading a thoroughbred hack; and at the rubbing-post on the Heath was anofiicr groom, all in crimson, waiting with a second hack. But we marvel when we think of his establishment, and remember him with 38 racehorses in training, 17 coach horses, 12 hunters, 4 chargers at Brighton, and not a few hacks. By his racing speculations he was a winner; his judgment pulled him through ; but when we heard that he would play to the extent of £IO,OOO at a sitting, we were not surprised that the domain of Blythe passed into other hands, and that the onceaccomplished owner found a premature grave, and all the horses -were sold at an enormous sacrifice. — Nimrod. “Drop me a line!” as the drowning man said to the fellow on deck.
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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 10 July 1862, Page 3
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323Untitled Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 10 July 1862, Page 3
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