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) Guineas horse next year". On 4 October Dick Turpin was sent to France and moved up to Group 1 class for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere over 1400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse. He started the second choice in the betting in a seven-runner field but after racing towards the rear he was unable to catch the leaders and came home fifth behind Siyouni, Pounced, Buzzword and Lope de Vega. Thirteen days later the colt contested the Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse and finished sixth of the fifteen runners behind Beethoven. On 17 April Dick Turpin made his three-year-old