PERTH TO DUNKELD. 277 



recovered the prowess of Auastasius and Archi- 

 bald, and expired in '22. At Dumfries, Charles Lord 

 Lord Queensberry almost cleared the board with 

 Fair Helen, Miss Syntax, and Gonsalvi ; and what 

 there was left, Lord Kelburne picked up with Chance, 

 and Sir William Maxwell with Clootie and Mon- 

 reith. At Ayr, next year, Miss Syntax and Fair 

 Helen had matters pretty well to themselves, but in 

 the Springkell colours. At Edinburgh, "t'ould grey 

 mare" met, and beat Jock the Laird's brother, and 

 Monreith, both of them winners. Then came the 

 only Aberdeen meeting, which began on the Satur- 

 day, and went on all the next week. Sir David Mon- 

 crieff won eight races, and fairly held the belt with 

 Negotiator; and two out of "the three Yorkshire Tom- 

 mies" Lye and Shepherd were uncommonly busy 

 upon winners. At Kelso, in 1824, Sir David had the 

 best of it again in another seven days' bout ; but 

 Fair Helen's day was over, and she and Negotiator 

 (now Lord Kennedy's) were both beaten by the 

 lucky baronet's Catton. There was nothing remark- 

 able at " Ayr, or Air" ; but in 1826 they were racing 

 till dark over the North Inch at Perth, and ran two 

 heats and a match next day. A couple of Ardrossan 

 horses, Sir A. Ramsay's Gift and Mr. Baird's Sir 

 Malachi Malagrowther, had the cream of the thing 

 between them, and contrived to keep clear of each 

 other. 



The six-year-old Springkell was then great 

 over Dumfries, where Lye won the St. Leger on his 



