262 



ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



Hieroglyphic, which he owned at the time of his death, 

 also became void. 



Apology's record during her career was running 

 twenty times, winning eight races of the value of 

 £14,445 ; and with the winnings of her sister, Agility, 

 Mr. " Launde " netted an aggregate sum of nearly 

 £21,000. It was through John Osborne's advice that 

 Mandragora was retained at Ashby by Mrs. King. 



Mr. King's connection with Ashgill and the 

 Osbornes was unbroken until his death, the year after 

 Apology won the St. Leger. Considering the limited 

 extent of the worthy cleric's stud at Ashby, he had a fair 

 share of Fortune's favours, alike as a breeder and racer 

 of thoroughbreds. Lunatic was his beginning. She was 

 a half-sister to Bedlamite, and was presented to him 

 by his father, Colonel King, after his racing career was 

 ended. Lunatic was mated to Filho da Puta, and Bessy 

 Bedlam, who proved a smart mare, was the result. 

 Colonel King received Bessy Bedlam as a present from 

 his son, and a useful present it was, for she won a few 

 good races for him. Lunatic, indeed, was the tap root 

 of the parson's Turf fortunes, her daughter Moonbeam 

 by Tomboy breeding a few winners, but she did not 

 reallv distins^uished herself as a matron until she threw 

 Manganese by Birdcatcher. 



Manganese's first essay in the Hopeful at Doncaster 

 was a failure, as she ran unplaced, but coming out 

 soon after at Beverley, and ridden by Robert Osborne, 

 she won the Bishop Burton Stakes on the Westwood, 

 which lies on the margin of the old minster town, 

 sacred to "Percy's shrine." Sixteen times old Man- 

 ganese faced the starter in her two-year-old season, 

 her best performance being when she won the Portland 

 Plate at Doncaster. Starting a 15 to 1 chance, she 



