OF FARRIERY. 



359 



ranks decidedly before Eclipse, some of Herod's 

 stock being not only among the most speedy, 

 but the generality of them, the stoutest and 

 best constitutioned Horses the Turf, at any 

 period, has produced. 



King Herod was a bay Horse about fifteen 

 hands three inches high, of great substance, 

 length, and power, and fine figure. He was 

 bred by old Duke William, and foaled in 1758. 

 He was got by Tartar out of Cypron. There 

 was another Tartar got by Blaze, but Tartar 

 the sire of King Herod, was got by Croft's 

 Partner, one of our most famous Racers and 

 Stallions, out of Meliora by Fox, and she was 

 bred from a line of stout and true runners. 

 Partner, grand sire of King Herod, was foaled 

 in 1718; he was a chesnut Horse, of great 

 power, exquisite symmetry and beauty, and 

 immediately succeeded Flying Childers, as the 

 best Horse at Newmarket, giving weight to, 

 and beating those of the highest repute, over 

 the course. He was got by Jig, (no pedigree 

 of dam) son of the famous Byerley Turk, his 

 pedigree through a list of highly reputed pro- 

 genitors, concluding with the well known Old 

 Vintner Mare. Partner died in 1747, aged 

 twenty-nine. Cypron, King Herod's dam, was 

 got by that powerful and capital Racer and 

 Stallion, Blaze, a son of Flying Childers, and 

 sire of Sampson, Scrub, and others ; that Blaze, 

 of which the Yorkshiremen affirmed, that even 

 half-bred mares would breed racers by him ; 

 out of Sir William St. Quintin's Seliraa, a 

 black mare and true runner, got by the Bethell 

 Arabian, and boasting in her lineage. Cham- 

 pion, the Darley Arabian, and Old Merlin. 

 King Herod's pedigree consists of the oldest 

 and purest blood. 



Herod, like Childers and Eclipse, did not 

 start upon the Course, until five years old. 



He never ran any where but at Newmarket, 

 Ascot Heath, and York, and always over tlia 

 course, or four miles, stoutness or game, and 

 ability to carry weight, being his play. He 

 ran five times for a thousand guineas each 

 race, and won three of them. His losino- the 

 two, might be on account of reasons which 

 now and then occur upon the Turf The last 

 race he won was against Ascham, a curious 

 one, from the circumstance of two aged Hordes 

 carrying feathers, five stone seven, and six 

 stone. He had previously burst a blood vessel 

 in his head, whilst running the last mile over 

 York, for the Subscription Purse, against Bay 

 Malton and other. He won several matches 

 for five hundred guineas, and a Sweepstake 

 of three hundred guineas, nine subscribers. 



The fame of this Racer as a Stallion, in the 

 Turf Register, is truly splendid. In nineteen 

 years, namely, from 1771 to 1789, four 

 hundred and ninety-seven of his Sons and 

 Daughters, won for their proprietors, in Plates, 

 Matches, and Sweepstakes, the sum of two 

 hundred and one thousand, five hundred and 

 five pounds, nine shillings, exclusive of some 

 thousands won between 1771 and 178G. 

 Herod was the sire of the celebrated Highflyer, 

 bred by Sir Charles Bunbnry, which was 

 never beaten ; and which, like his sire, had a 

 great stride, and game was his best. Herod 

 also got some of the speediest Horses of their 

 day, as. Woodpecker, Bourdeaux, Anvil, 

 Hammer, Sting, Adamant, Plunder, Quick- 

 sand, Rantipole, Wliipcord, and many others. 

 Tuberose, Guildford, and Latona, were rare 

 examples of the family stoutness, and Labur- 

 num was an excellent and useful racer. The 

 list of brood mares got by Herod is extensive 

 mdeed. 



King Herod first covered the property of 



