'RATAPLAN'S' APPEARANCE 223 



patience. Up to the year 1850, with the exception of his 

 old slave, Clothmaker, no one horse in his numerous stud 

 did more than pay its way, if it did so much, and, in 

 addition, provide sufficient for the total expenditure. 

 He had at this time a horse running at York, which, 

 from prudential motives, he ostensibly sold to a friend for 

 300, with the condition that that sum should be put on 

 the horse for the race for which he was engaged next 

 day. On Mr. Parr's arrival at York, it is said that, 

 owing to some little inattention on his part, or it may 

 have been the want of some formality in respect to a bill 

 transaction, he was politely invited to visit the Castle, 

 which he did, and remained till the next day, when the 

 success of his horse enabled him to give consideration for 

 the document to which his valuable autograph was 

 attached, and he was enabled to leave, delighted at the 

 fortunate result. 



From this date we see him associated with Rataplan, 

 who, though raced in his name, was, I believe, always the 

 property of Mr. Thellusson, as he ran as his the following 

 year. Rataplan was such a curiously-made animal that 

 a description of him may not be uninteresting. He was 

 own brother to Stockwell, and half-brother to King Tom, 

 by the Baron out of Pocahontas ; a good horse over a dis- 

 tance of ground, but extremely plain. He was a dark 

 chestnut with white legs, long fore-pasterns almost 

 amounting to a deformity, plain head and Boman nose, 

 short neck and bad shoulders, with a large barrel, so 

 cow-hocked that his hind-legs nearly touched each other 

 indeed, he walked more like a Guernsey cow than a 

 racehorse, and galloped very little better, more closely 

 resembling in appearance the bovine than the equine 

 tribe. His performances for such a misshapen animal 

 were wonderful. Out of twenty-nine races he ran irt 



