The City And Suburban Handicap At Epsom Downs "Come Along Grey Leg!" 1894 Watercolour by George Finch Mason
$1,800
Art Sz: 9 1/4"H x 13 3/4"W
Frame Sz: 14 1/4"H x 18 3/4"W
Watercolour and bodycolour
On April 18, 1894, the Duke of Westminster’s three-year-old grey colt, Grey Leg (sired by Pepper and Salt out of Quetta), pulled off a major victory by easily winning the prestigious City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom Downs.
Carrying just 70 pounds (5 stone) due to his young age, Grey Leg was ridden by jockey Walter Bradford and trained by the legendary John Porter. He entered the race highly favored by the public and lived up to the hype, maintaining an inside position all the way through the 1 1/4-mile course to win handsomely over a field of eleven horses.
Historical Legacy
The phrase "Come Along Greyleg!" echoes the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd or period press headlines celebrating the distinctively colored grey colt as he broke away from the pack. Grey Leg went on to have a successful racing career, also winning the Newmarket Champion Stakes and the Ascot All-Aged Stakes.
George Finch Mason (1850-1915) was a sporting artist, author and illustrator, specialising in humorous studies and caricatures. His father was a schoolmaster at Eton and he was educated there in 1860-64. He contributed to several books including Humours of the Hunting Field (1886), Flowers of the Hunt (1889), The White Hart and other Stories (1891), The Run of the Season (1902), and Heroes and Heroines of the Grand National (1907 and 1911). He was a frequent contributor to many sporting publications of the time and was ‘Uncle Toby’ of The Sporting Times. He also worked for Punch.