4oS APPENDIX. 



PETRARCH. 



{WINNER OF THE TWO THOUSAND AND THE 

 DONCASTER ST. LEGER, 1876, &-€.) 



Petrarch by Lord Clifden. was bred in 1873 by Mr. Gosden, at Hollist Stud 

 Farm, Midhurst, Sussex, and is the ninth produce of Laura (also dam of Proto- 

 martyr, Fraulein, Lemnos, Rotherhill and Laureate), who was bred in i860 by 

 Mr. Greville. Like Pero Gomez, the first and only race for which Petrarch 

 started when two years old was the Middle Park Plate, and like him he scored 

 a victory for the great Blenkiron prize, beating a field of twenty-nine horses. The 

 fillies, Madeira by Thunderbolt, and Heartsease by Optimist, occupied the second 

 and third places, and among the beaten horses were Kisber, LoUypop, Advance, 

 Kaleidoscope, Clanronald, and Braconnier. Petrarch was then sold to Lord 

 Dupplin for 8,000 guineas, with the contingency that he should run for the 

 Two Thousand. This he did, unfit, and in 1876 succeeded in winning the sen- 

 sational Two Thousand of that year, beating Julius Caesar, Kaleidoscope, his 

 stable companion, who was favourite, and eleven others, among whom were 

 Charon, Great Tom, Coltness, and Camembert. He then became a strong 

 favourite for the Derby, his running in which was most unaccountable, Kisber 

 winning in a canter, with Forerunner second, and Julius Ccesar (whom he beat so 

 easily in the Two I'housand) third. At Ascot, for the Prince of Wales Stakes, 

 the changes were again rung, for Petrarch won that rich prize in a canter, giving 

 Great Tom who was second 12 lb. , and Julius Caesar who was a bad third, 7 lb. ! 

 Another change and yet another in his form took place before his quitting 

 Royal Ascot. In the Biennial he proved to be the worst of four, Coltnes?, 

 King Death, Bay Windham, all beating him ; and, to top the climax. Morning 

 Star and Correggio both beat him for the Triennial on the last day. The 

 northern air proved more invigorating than the soul hern, for on the Doncaster 

 Town Moor Petrarch regained his pristine form and won the St. Leger by a 

 neck from Wild Tommy, Julius Cassar being a bad third, while Kisber, on 

 whom the public fondly betted 2 to i, came rolling in nearly last. Petrarch 

 now became the property of Lord Lonsdale, and his first race in 1877 was for 

 the Lincolnshire Handicap, won by Lord Wilton's Footstep, in which he ran 

 unplaced. He next walked over for a small sweepstakes at Newmarket, and 

 his next success was achieved at Epsom, where, carrying 8 st. 12 lb., he won the 

 High Level Handicap, beating Rabagas H. 5 yrs. 7 st. 4 lb., Lilian, aged, 7 st. 

 5 lb., and three others. At Ascot he won the Gold Cup easily from Skylark, 

 Coomassie, and three others ; but at Liverpool, carrying 9 st. 3 lb., he suffered 

 a head defeat from Snail aged 7 st. 12 lb., Advance 4 yrs. 6 st. 12 lb. and nine 

 others. At Goodwood he was all to pieces, and was consequently easily beaten 

 for the Cup, which was his last race that year. In 187S Petrarch, carrying 9 st. 

 4 lb., was close up for the City and Suburban, won by Sefton, 3 jrs., 5 st. 8 lb., 

 and at Ascot he won the Rous Memorial, beating Dalham, Touchet, and three 

 others. His last race was for the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, in which he 

 ran unplaced to Jannette. Petrarch was the following year advertised to cover 

 at Bushy Paddocks, Hampton Court, when his fee was 100 guineas. Petrarch 

 is the sire of Busybody, winner of One Thousand and Oaks in 1883, and of The 

 Bard, who ran in 16 races and won them all as a two-3 ear-old. 



