78 



ashgill; or, the life 



In those days the Portland Plate was a handicap 

 for all ages. That was before the rule came 

 into force that two-year-olds should not be handi- 

 capped with aged horses. At the close of her 

 two-year-old season, Manganese was beaten a 

 head for a Nursery at Newmarket. A mare 

 named Shela, belonging to Mr. Saxon, beat her — 

 Manganese carrying 8 st. 10 lbs., and Shela 

 6 St. 6 lbs. 



" There were only five runners in Manganese's 



' One Thousand.' She was looking ' rough ' at the 



time, and I remember some one telling my father 



that John Day's people were coming through with 



their filly Mincepie to cut her down. My father 



told me never to give them a chance but to bring 



her through. I had them all settled before going 



half way, and won in a canter. That same year 



Manganese ran fourth for the Portland Plate 



at Doncaster. In that year our stable was 



second, third, and fourth. A horse trained by 



Wetheral, named Lance, won ; Lord Alfred was 



second, Saunterer third, and Manganese fourth. 



As a four-year-old Manganese went to the stud 



at Ashbv." 



Manganese, bred by Mr. W. H. Brooke in 1853, was 



got by Birdcatcher, her dam Moonbeam by Tomboy out 



of Lunatic by Prime Minister. Moonbeam, got in 



1838, was bred by Mr. King, who also bred Luminous, 



Loup Garou, Gleam, Constellation, Herschel, Clair 



de Lune, Moonshine, Benhams, Rebecca, Sermon, 



Radiance, The Vicar, and others. She died in 1862. 



She was first mated to Touchstone in 1859, but missed 



to him. In 1860 and 1861 she dropped Mandragora 



and The Miner, these being bred by Mr. W. H. Brooke. 



