BLOOD SIRES. 203 



a-quarter of the Liverpool Steeple Chase under ten 

 stone in very little over ten minutes, we have no 

 great reason to join in the elegies over the decay of 

 our horses' stamina. Horologists assert that the 

 five-year-old Sir Solomon and Cockfighter ran four 

 miles at Doncaster under 8st. 71bs. in 7 mins. 11 sees., 

 and the most desperately run race of modern times 

 was the Emperor's Cup in 1853, when Teddington, 

 5 yrs., 9st., and Stock well, 4 yrs., 8st. 51bs., covered 

 the 2J miles of a course where "^to-racing" is a 

 mere euphemism, in 4 min. 33 sees. West Austra- 

 lian and Kingston are said to have done the distance 

 in 6 sees, less, but the pace for the last three-quarters 

 of a mile was not so severe. Velocipede, whom John 

 Scott considers to be the best horse he ever trained, 

 and Osprey, who beat everything of Lord Foley's, 

 when he was out of training, for half a mile were 

 immensely fast, as were all the stock of Buzzard and 

 his descendants. Vulture had perhaps the highest 

 speed of any animal that ever trod the turf, but we 

 do not know that her half-mile burst was ever timed. 

 Semiseria and Queen of the Gipsies are said to have 

 done a half-mile match at Newmarket in 37 sees., 

 while 1 min. 46 sees, is a good general average for a 

 mile, 2 mins. 46 sees, for 1J miles, and 3 mins. 

 46 sees for two. The slowest race we ever saw was 

 the Ebor St. Leger of 1850, in which, owing to all 

 three jockeys being afraid to begin, the first three- 

 quarters of a mile was walked, and the two miles 

 happily completed, after a slashing head and head 

 race, in 14 mins. 17 sees. ! The Newcastle Cup, (1855) 

 when Dalkeith and King of Trumps fairly reeled past 

 the post like drunken men, is also one te leading case" 

 of distress ; as Wanota's, in the Ascot Stakes, when 

 Job Marson was three times compelled to indulge him 

 with the lead, and then come and win at the fourth 

 run, is of hard pulling. 



With the exception of the Royal Whip and two 



