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The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz, Volume II

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The Turf, Historical, Social, Moral

[72] For some period previous to 1790, George IV. had patronized
horse-racing and pugilism; but in that year, having attended a
prize fight in which one of the boxers was killed, he ceased to
support the ring, declaring that he would never be present at
such a scene of murder again; and in 1791 he disposed of his
stud, on account of some apparently groundless suspicion being
attached to his conduct with regard to a race, in the event of
which he had little or no real interest.

On coming into office with Lord North, in 1783, Mr Fox sold his
horses, and erased his name from several of the clubs of which he
was a member. It was not long, however, before he again
purchased a stud, and in October he attended the Newmarket
meeting. The king's messenger was obliged to appear on the
course, to seek one of the ministers of England among the
sportsmen on the heath, in order to deliver despatches upon which
perhaps the fate of the country might have depended. The
messenger on these occasions had his badge of office, the
greyhound, not liking that the world should know that the king's
adviser was amusing himself at Newmarket, when he should have
been serving him in the metropolis. But Charles Fox preferred
the betting rooms to Downing Street.

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