280 



ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



Evening Chimes, Gildersbeck, Leven, Lady of the Lake, 

 Lizzie Long, Napoleon, Novice, Norah, and Ollerton. 

 Novice, who had won the Seaton Delaval Stakes at 

 the same meeting the previous year, was then the joint 

 property of Mr. Thomas Craggs, who for many years 

 acted as clerk of the course, and Dr. Trotter, a patron 

 of the Ashgill stable. The executors of the last-named 

 gentleman deemed it wise to refuse the 300 guineas 

 which Mr. Craggs had offered for her. Novice was sent 

 up to Doncaster for sale, and she only realised 200 

 guineas for the doctor's estate, Mr. W. Stevenson there- 

 after owning her. Novice was seen out in good form at 

 this '80 meeting at Newcastle in the hands of Bell, then 

 an Ashgill middleweight. She won the North Derby in 

 a canter from her stable companion Mr. R,. Osborne's 

 Gildersbeck, with " Mr. John " himself upon the latter. 

 Matthew Dawson, who always had a warm side for 

 the old Town Moor meeting, ran one of his own in 

 Fire King for this North Derby. He started an even 

 money favourite, but only got third to the Ashgill pair. 

 Mr. W. Stevenson's Leven won the Stewards' Cup 

 (formerly the Newcastle Cup) at this fixture the second 

 year in succession. In this particular race the Osbomes 

 had made their mark most successfully in preceding 

 years. Romping Girl won it for John Osborne himself 

 in '67, and it was brought to Ashgill by Thorn in '75 

 and 76, by the Timaru colt in '77, and by Garterless 

 in '78. In olden days the Newcastle Cup was a great 

 event. Its history goes back to the end of the 

 eighteenth century, Stripling being the first winner 

 in 1779. The famed XYZ won it four years in 

 succession, viz., in 1811, '12, '13, and '14; Bee's-wing no 

 less than seven times, in 1836-7-8-9 ; she was beaten by 



