Leopold de Rothschild (1845-1917) was the nephew of Mayer Amschel and his natural successor in the field of horse-racing. He had become a keen race-goer during his college days at Cambridge, with regular trips to Newmarket. The more desperately his mother urged him to study 'something - drawing, painting, music, languages' - the more his interests turned elsewhere, principally to the turf.
Leo inherited Palace House in Newmarket which became his spiritual home. Here the Prince of Wales often stayed with him during race meetings, together with many prominent figures of the day. Leo also took over the running of his father's stud at Gunnersbury before moving it to his own estate at Ascott. It became the Southcourt Stud farm, from where he bred many winners. Leo was immortalised in a Vanity Fair cartoon, where he was described as 'a good sportsman and a good master'. He made no pretence of concealing his delights and his disappointments and his emotions endeared him to the general public.
