LORD PALMERSTON 161 



acceptable to him. And it may be imagined readily, that 

 on this event coming off, when my father, on his return 

 from Newmarket, handed him one which included not 

 only the Cesarewitch Stakes, but a fair sum in bets, after 

 deducting his little account, which had been for some 

 years outstanding, his lordship was not a little pleased. 



Buckthorn was a nice horse, rather above the average 

 size of the Venisons, and, like his father, stayed well. 

 He was probably the best horse his lordship ever had, 

 and certainly the best he ever bred, being by Venison out 

 of Zeila. As a two-year-old he ran second to Little 

 Savage for the Two-year-old Stakes at Winchester, third 

 to Elcot and Flirt for the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, 

 and not placed in the New Stakes at Ascot, won by 

 Hobbie Noble. As a three-year-old, he ran nine times 

 and won five, and cantered over for the Wiltshire Stakes, 

 dividing the forfeit with Mr. Winch's Proudfoot. He 

 won at the following provincial meetings : Stockbridge, 

 Winchester, Salisbury, and at his lordship's favourite 

 meeting, Tiverton. 



The race for the Ascot Stakes, in 1853, when thirteen 

 ran King Pippin, the same age, four-year-old, being 

 second, Euckihorn giving him nearly 2 st. was remark- 

 able for the distance which my brother Alfred lay away 

 from his horses ; I should think certainly more than 100 

 yards behind the one immediately before him, and how 

 far from the first I can't say. About a mile from home, 

 and even less, he was considered out of it altogether by 

 the spectators. But he crept up, little by little, till 

 rounding the bend, and when fairly in the straight he 

 came with a rush, and won by half a length. At such a 

 1 masterly exhibition,' as it was called, Alfred was com- 

 plimented over and over again in the highest quarters, 

 besides receiving, on his return to the scales, an ovation 



11 



