240 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



previously walked in over the Epsom course, succumbed 

 by a head to his stable companion, Marie Stuart. With 

 these recent memories of three Derby whinners in 

 Hermit, Kingcraft, and Doncaster succumbing on the 

 Town Moor after their Derby triumphs, the fielders in 

 Apology's year operated boldly against George 

 Frederick, trustful of a similar fate awaiting him to 

 that which befell the three great horses just named. 

 The two favourites were George Frederick and Apology, 

 but Matthew Dawson was deemed to have a formidable 

 team in Leolinus, Trent, and Atlantic, the latter's 

 chances, however, suffering from the drawback of 

 bursting a blood vessel whilst at exercise, otherwise 

 he would have undoubtedly carried the full confidence 

 of the great and departed trainer. The St. Leger had 

 been a singularly unfortunate race for Matthew 

 Dawson, for, although he had trained a winner 

 of nearly all the great races, fortune failed him at 

 Doncaster. When at Eussley, as trainer for Mr. 

 Merry, he got within a head of the Marquis, 

 that finish bringing vividly to the recollection of 

 " old stagers " the dead heat between Charles XII. 

 and Euclid in '39, and Russborough and Voltigeur 

 in 1850. Mr. Merry had certainly won the St. 

 Leger twice, but Matthew Dawson was in neither 

 instance the trainer. He had long before resigned his 

 charge when Marie Stuart won in '73, whilst, when 

 Sunbeam was successful in '58, he had hardly assumed 

 it. Matthew Dawson's ill fortune in the St. Leger was 

 further evinced when he was at Eussley, for with Lord 

 Falmouth's pair. Kingcraft and Wheatear, he ran 

 second and third respectively to Hawthornden, an 

 outsider whom few dreamt of as likely to defeat the 

 Derby winner. He suffered a still further disappoint- 



