CHAPTER IX 



OF DERBY WINNERS 



The season of 1846 was said to have been 'infinitely the 

 most brilliant in the annals of the British Turf.' Ascot 

 was graced by the presence of the young Queen and her 

 Royal Consort, while Chester, Newmarket, Goodwood, 

 Doncaster and Epsom held ' their ain an' mair ' ! In 

 1850 there were twenty-four runners for the Derby, which 

 Voltigeur won by a length over Flying Dutchman. The 

 latter won the Ascot Cup, five hundred guineas, and 

 Voltigeur the Doncaster Cup, three hundred pounds. 

 But when the Flying Dutchman won the race at 



Knavesmire in 1851 over Voltigeur, Lord Eglinton 

 declared that his horse was withdrawn from the Turf 



for ever. 



Bay Middleton, sire of Flying Dutchman, bred by Lord 



Jersey in 1833, was never beaten, and was considered the 



best racehorse of the day. He was sold to ' Lord George ' 



Bentinck for four thousand guineas. 



As is the case with most English racers of note, all of 



the thirty-two sires and dams that appear in the pedigree 



of Voltigeur can be deduced from the Godolphin Arabian. 



The direct line of sires can be traced to the Darley Arabian, 



and the line of dams to a Barb mare. 



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