Great North Road (Great Britain) not compete with the new railways. The last coach from London to Newcastle left in 1842 and the last from Newcastle to Edinburgh in July 1847. The highwayman Dick Turpin's flight from London to York in less than 15 hours on his mare Black Bess is the most famous legend of the Great North Road. Various inns along the route claim Turpin ate a meal or stopped for respite for his horse. Harrison Ainsworth, in his 1834 romance "Rookwood", immortalised the ride. Historians argue that Turpin never made the journey, claiming that the ride was by John Nevison, "Swift Nick",
Dick Turpin (horse) debut in the Greenham Stakes (a trial race for the 2000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse and started the 8/1 third choice behind his stablemate Canford Cliffs and Arcano in a five-runner field. Ridden for the first time by Ryan Moore he tracked the front-running Canford Cliffs before taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by half a length. In the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile on 1 May Dick Turpin, a 16/1 outsider, took the lead three furlongs out but was overtaken inside the final furlong and beaten intoecond place by Makfi with Canford