82 ASHGILL. 



latter horse was a fortune in himself, and few 

 horses have paid their way better. He was a 

 big leggy horse, witli an ugly head, and not a 

 very enviable temper, but he was as game as a 

 pebble, and although his action was not particu- 

 larly good in his slow paces, he was a '' rum one 

 to follow, a bad one to beat " when thoroughly 

 extended. He was a Avonderfully sound horse, 

 and was racing eleven years, an event almost un- 

 precedented in the recent annals of the Turf. 

 During this period he ran in no fewer than one 

 hundred and thirty-two races, thirty-six of which 

 he won. Five or six furlongs was his distance, 

 and weight over a short course did not seem much 

 object to him. He is the only horse that has 

 won the Portland Plate twice. In 1873 he 

 started at the useful price of 33 to 1, and, carrying 

 7st. 3lb., won rather cleverly from a good field. 

 The next year he had 8st. lOlb. to carry, and, 

 notwithstandinof his bisf weio^ht, was a o^ood 

 favourite at 5 to 2. He ran fairly well but did 

 not get a place, the light weight division having 

 it all their own way on this occasion. In 1875 

 he was in with 7st. lOlb., and was well backed at 

 100 to 8. It was a capitally contested race, and 

 the Ashgill horse just managed to win by a short 

 head from Queen of the Bees, who started second 

 favourite, and was ridden by Archer. 



Grand Flaneur's career was something similar 

 to that of Captain Christie's speedy mare Miss 



