sentences:  Strickland was an enthusiastic owner and breeder of racehorses, and one of his horses, the Acaster Turk, was Champion Sire in 1721.Strickland was a central character in one of early racing's greatest causes celebres, The Merlin Match.Many of the exact details, even the date and the correct names of the horses involved are unknown; almost all that is certain is that the match took place.