CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



But Van Tromp's dam, Barbelle, was to breed 

 a yet better son. The mare rather lacked power, 

 but she was neat, short-legged, and lengthy, stand- 

 ing not more than 15-2. Her stud value having 

 been established by the early successes of Van 

 Tromp, Lord Eglinton made a bargain with her 

 owner, Colonel Vansittart, to pay a thousand 

 guineas for every foal she should produce. It 

 was a very fortunate contract, for in 1846 the 

 mare foaled the Flying Dutchman, one of the best 

 horses that ever ran on an English race-course, 

 and destined to confer on Lord Eglinton a higher 

 title to fame than he ever gained from tournament 

 in Scotland or from political service in Ireland. 

 The Flying Dutchman was a brown colt by Bay 

 Middleton, winner of the Derby in 1836, a sire 

 held in the highest esteem by all good judges 

 of the thoroughbred. The pedigree of the Flying 

 Dutchman shows the excellent judgment of the 

 breeder, who, in common with the best stud masters 

 of the time, believed in close in-breeding to Eclipse 

 Herod, and Matchem. The colt was of a very 

 irritable temperament and a hard puller. He 

 required very little work, and in his gallops was 

 generally unaccompanied. The first time he was 

 mounted by a jockey, his rider on dismounting 

 exclaimed, " I have never been on such a one 

 before." As a two-year-old he won the July 

 Stakes with 7 to 4 betted on him, and the Cham- 

 pagne at Doncaster without being extended. In all 

 he won five races in his first year. The next year 

 he won the Derby, beating Nunnykirk, the winner 

 of the Two Thousand Guineas. It was a desperate 

 race, for the downs at Epsom were very sticky, 



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