THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE OBSESSION

Text copyright Valerie Martin 1999

I understand that Henry Chaplin first became aware of his fiancé's elopement with the Marquis of Hastings when a letter of explanation arrived at his rooms in Park Lane from his beloved Lady Florence Paget. He read that he had been jilted and the tide had turned. Emotion welled up in him — what a sordid affair. Virtually left at the altar. He was a public laughing-stock and would be a social outcast after being ditched in such a manner. He was obsessed with the thought of revenge on the Marquis of Hastings and this led to him being bedevilled with the idea of beating him to become the first to own a Derby winner.

For his part, the Marquis of Hastings was still equally irritated by Chaplin — even though their roles were now reversed in matters of the heart.

The two men became at loggerheads to win the Derby before the other. Neither Chaplin nor the Marquis possessed a horse good enough to win in the summer of 1865. The following Derby Day in 1866 came and passed with neither owning a horse that was spectacular enough to win. Still preoccupied with the fixation of owning a Derby winner before the other, they both embarked on plans for the following year.

The downland turf of Findon was set to play a part in the training of Chaplin's entry for the Derby of 1867.  Continue to read about the choosing of a horse in The Purchase.