SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



naker and Maiden Stakes at Goodwood, the De- 

 vonshire Nursery at Derby, the Prince of Wales's 

 Nursery at Doncaster, and a match. In 1889, 

 owing to the rule voiding engagements of horses 

 at the death of their nominators, St. Simon could 

 not take part in the ' classic ' races, but he won 

 the Trial Match at Newmarket, walked over 

 for the Epsom Gold Cup, and carried off the 

 Ascot Gold Cup, Newcastle Gold Cup, and 

 Goodwood Cup. It was then decided to retire 

 him to the stud. 



The extraordinary success of his stock soon 

 showed the wisdom of this course. St. Simon's 

 first stock ran in 1889, the great year for the 

 duke to which reference has just been made, 

 and won no fewer than thirty-four races worth 

 ^24,286, a remarkable achievement considering 

 that the horse's representatives were all two- 

 | year-olds. From that year onwards St. Simon 

 continually headed the list of successful sires. 4 

 Since 1902 his stock have always won respect- 

 able sums, and in 1908 St. Simon, though 

 twenty-seven years old, had a full subscription list 

 at 500 gs., while at one period of his career 

 600 gs. were charged and eagerly paid for his 

 services. He died full of years and honours on 

 2 April 1908, having spent the whole of his 

 stud career at the Welbeck Paddocks. 



It is impossible within the limits of this 

 history to describe the doings of the sons and 

 daughters of St. Simon or even to give a full 

 list of them. The following names, however, 

 provide a formidable catalogue indeed. St. Simon 

 sired the king's three fr.mous horses Florizel II, 

 Persimmon, arid Diamond Jubilee, as well as Per- 

 simmon's great rival, St. Frusquin ; whilst at vari- 

 ous periods he was the sire of such celebrities as 

 Memoir, St. Serf, Semolina, Signorina, Simonetta, 

 Simonian, Sabra, Charm, The Smew, Raeburn, 

 Perigord, Silene, Bill of Portland, Amiable, 

 Mrs. Butterwick, Matchbox, La Fleche, Child- 

 wick, Watercress, Saintly, Haut Brion, Simonburn, 

 Tarporley, Raconteur, St. Florian, Utica, Roque- 

 brune, Smean, St. Bris, Phoebus Apollo, Lady 

 Frivoles, Leisure Hour, His Reverence, Desmond, 

 Collar, Soliman, Simon Dale, The Gorgon, Man- 

 ners, La Roche, St. Aldegonde, La Force, Wini- 

 freda, Pietermaritzburg, Santa Brigida, St. Maclou, 

 Sidus, St. Windeline, William the Third, 

 Rabelais, Pekin, Darley Dale, Pamflete, Chau- 

 cer, and Saltpetre. Truly a bewildering array, 

 but one which could be added to by the inclusion 

 of almost as many more really good horses. 



A careful calculation reveals the fact that 

 St. Simon's progeny have won, from 1889 to 

 1907, 540 races of a total value of 530,671, 



4 His figures for 1890 were 32,799; 1891 

 26,890; 1892 55,995; 1893 36,582; '894 

 4I ,886; 1895 30,469; 1896 59,219; 1897 

 22,541 ; 1898 14,902; 1899 17,285 ; 1900 

 55,230; 1901 28,770; 1902 38,531- 



and he was without doubt the greatest sire since 

 Stockwell's day. His sons, too, have inherited 

 his own ability to transmit their own good 

 qualities to their offspring, as witness the 

 successful stud careers of those great stallions 

 Persimmon, St. Frusquin, Diamond Jubilee, St. 

 Serf, Raeburn, Perigord, Bill of Portland, Water- 

 cress, Tarporley, Desmond, Collar, and Soliman. 

 His daughters, too, are uniformlysuccessful asdams 

 of high-class racehorses. The Duke of Portland 

 has had many other good stallions at Welbeck, 

 such as St. Serf, Donovan, and Carbine (the 

 famous Australian horse imported with a view 

 to imparting stamina to the native stock), and 

 he has always a few horses in training at 

 Kingsclere, that famous Hampshire stable from 

 which so many Derby winners have come. 

 The speculative side of racing does not appeal to 

 the duke ; but the poor of the district in which 

 Welbeck is situated have reason to remember 

 with gratitude his successes of the past, for all 

 his gains on the race-course have been devoted to 

 charity, and a row of almshouses on the estate, 

 known as ' The Winnings,' are a standing 

 memorial to this great owner's generosity. 



Sir John Robinson of Worksop Manor, who 

 shares with the late Mr. John Gully the distinc- 

 tion of being the only bookmaker who has served 

 his county as high sheriff, has always taken a 

 keen interest in racing. In his younger days 

 he was a capital horseman, and rode at Notting- 

 ham, Croxton Park, and other meetings, estab- 



7 ' O 7 



lishing in one season the record of four winners 

 out of five mounts. A shrewd judge of a horse, 

 he was elected a member of Tattersall's and ap- 

 pointed a member of the committee over twenty 

 years ago. He has owned many excellent horses, 

 including the grey Tipperary Boy, by Zouave 

 out of Chanticleer, Myra, Raby Castle, and Dis- 

 tingue, but in racing has experienced indifferent 

 luck. He founded at Worksop Manor a breeding 

 stud, for which he at one time hired Donovan, 

 and his matrons have included Violet Melrose, 

 the dam of Melton, which won the Derby for 

 Lord Hastings in 1885. 



Sir John's yearlings are sold every year at the 

 Doncaster bloodstock sales, when the demand for 

 them is ample proof that the system of rearing 

 pursued by their breeder is highly judicious. Of 

 late years the Worksop Manor yearlings have 

 invariably realized good prices, and in 1907 and 

 1908 several were sold at sums well over four 

 figures. Trainers like them because, not having 

 been pampered in any way, they come to hand 

 early and are invariably hardy. 



Although he lives in Derbyshire the Earl of 

 Harrington is so conspicuous a figure in the sport 

 of our county that he is almost regarded as a 

 Nottinghamshire man. A few years ago his 

 colours were regularly seen on the Nottingham 

 race-course, and he owned some very useful 

 horses. 



397 



