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) he travels so well and has got a good racing brain". The colt was back in France in August for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Racecourse and ran seventh behind Immortal Verse. On 24 September Dick Turpin was sent to Italy for the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua over 1600 metres at San Siro Racecourse in Milan in which he was ridden by Christophe Soumillon. He started odds-on favourite against six opponents including Cityscape, Fanunalter and the German mare Vanjura. After racing in fifth place he produced a strong run on the outside in the straight, caught