THE LATE GEORGE BARRETT'S CAREEE.

(London Sportsman, February 26.)

It is with much regret that -we have to announce the death of the well-known jockey George "Barrett, which took place yesterday aflei-noon at 3 o'clock. Colin George Barrett, to give the subject of this memoir his full name, was Lorn at Nut Tree farm, Metfield, May 29, 1863, and was in due course apprenticed to W. H.~ Manser, the tiainer, of Cadland House, Newmarket. His first, experience of riding in public was gained on Mr Jolmsou's litania in tlie P«el Handicap at Huntingdon, in July, 1877, the niare finishing last but one ; but his first victory was not long after this in arriving, ancl lie was little 'more than U years of age when on the same mare he secured the Kil111 1 m Handicap Plate at the September meeting at J\.ingsbury, a racecourse which has long s-nce ceased to exist. This victory was the more remarkable from the fact that the filly vas not much fancied, starling at 6 to 1, and only beat Burlington by a short head. Tho latter was ridden by Charles Wood, not the sort of opponent that a complete novice would select to pit himself against, so the boy's finishing powers must have been considerable even at that early age. He scored again on Fidelis in the Hendon Handicap Plate, the opening event of the following day. In each of these races tb? winner had 6.0 lo carry, but Barrett could at that time go to scale as law as 5.7. Unfortunately for his chances of speedy advancement, there happened to be an. unusual number of clever youngsters in evidence just about that time, so his successes did -not attract the attention that they would ctliferwise have done,, and it nas a couple of years later before he began to ride pretty regularly, and made his next appearance m the list of winning jockeys. Lack of v space forbids us to follow his career year by*year, nor would it ba specially interesting lo do so, as the following table speaks for itself : —

About the first race of any real importance that fell to bis share was the Great Eastern Railway Handicap, which lie secured for Lord Hastings cm Fire King 6.4- in 1880, and it is noteworthy that this was the colt's only victory during that season, although he was dul on nine other occasions. The custom, of putting up light-weights \vitL two or three slene of dead weight in the saddle cloth* was by no means so prevalent then as it has recently become,, and Barrett hod to wait live years longer before he steered his first classic winner, xhis wa; Farewell, on whom lie won the One Thousand in ".e famous '"yellow, black cai 1 ' of the Duke of Westminster, colours with which lie became very closely identified, and in which lie rode some far more famous animals than tlie daughter ci Doncaster and Lily Agnes ever became. Starting at 20 to 1 she beat a field of 15, but alout the best of them was the boinewhat je dy St. Jrxelena, who cv.. up extremely badly, ard this was tbe second and last bracket that slie ever earned. The subject of our notice had a rare slice of luck in 1886, when, owing to Archer being claimed for Saraband, the unbcnlon Ormonde v,'a<3 entrusted to Ms handling in the Two Thousand Guineas, and disposed of Minting and the rest with scarcely

sn effort. In that year he also rode the winners of, amongst other races, the Chester Cup, Great. Cheshire. Handicap, Dee Stakes, and the lipsom Grand Prize. He likewise had a capital week at Ascot, -winding up with a win in the Hardwicke Stakes on Ormonde, t.l-ora Archer was once more unable to ride, being claimed for Melton. A slight falling off was noticeable in the number of his -winning mounts in 1887, thougb lie again ran into three figures, but the season was a memorable one for him owing to the remarkable victories he achieved on Carlton, which included the Chester Cup, Manchester Cup, Queen's Plate at Slockbridge, Goodwood Stakes, Great Yorkshire Handicap, Doncaster Cup, Middle Park Plate, and the Manchester November Handicap. In the last-named event that great horse had 9.12 to carry, and it was generally agreed that his head victory was in a great measure due to Barrett's verypowerful and determined finish. It was a pity that the colt was not allowed another season or two on the turf, as, like nearly every "chance-bred horse," lie has so far proved anything but a success at the stud. Probably 1891 must be put down as George T-c rrett's " annus mirabilis," for in that year lie and Common landed the " triple crown " bftvreen them. The "'partnership horse" may not have been of the very highest calibre, still we have always thought that he scarcely got the credit for being so good a colt as he really was, and at any rate lie had a few pounds in hand in each of these three races. In addition to these victories in the classic events, lie in that year was to the fore in such, big races as the Portland Stakes at I eicester. Queen's Prize at Kempton Park, Goodwood Cup, Champagne Stakes, Middle lark Plate, and the Dewhurst Plate. The following year saw BarreLt score his greatest m,inber of wins in any single season, and it was a bitter disappointment to him that Mornington Cannon beat him for the premiership by 28, as, though lie constantly gained a place, he never managed to come cv'; absolutely at the head of the poll. In tl at season he carried off his two last " classics " by the aid of La Fleche; but his association with that famous mare was not too pleasant, as it appeared to be generally thought that he did not do full justice to her in the Derby, and although he v.-on the One Thousand and Oaks on li3r, and siibsequently brought the bonny mare home triumphantly in the Cambridgeshire under the substantial burden of 8.10, his connection with the Kingsrlere stable terminated in that year About t'.e beginning of 1891- his health began to fail, lyut at~his best lie was a very powerful hor&aman, and the measiire of his ability can be accurately gauged by the position he held year after year in the list of winning jockeys. .Altogether^ irom 1881, when lie tied for fourth place in the annual winning list with George Fordham, up to the end of 1893, lie «as fifth once, fourth three times, third five, and second four times, while the nearest he actually got to heading the list -was v.'hen in 1891 M. Cannon headed him by four.

3879 1880 18S1 3852 1883 1834 3885 1886 1887 ISSB 1889 IS9O 3891 1892 1893 1894 UnWitis. Second. Third, placed. Total. 6 14 8 37 65 27 34 33 109 203 61 52 46 20fi 365 7-J 65 65 208 411 ■63 G2 61 I^9 385 72 81 50 203 406 112 119 86 309 62S 121 122 128 327 698 106 95 109 27L 581 108 90 61 283 512 J2S IS9 83 312 (552 106 99 98 252 555 133 IJB 114 396 671 15* 139 85 309 (587 107 85 87 282 551 24 36 33 165 £58