FAMOUS HORSES 79 



and Donovan never again knew defeat. In the 

 Newmarket Stakes he beat Enthusiast and fifteen 

 other horses without the least difficulty, Enthusiast, 

 indeed, not being in the first four ; and he continued his 

 victorious career by winning the Derby from Miguel, 

 with El Dorado a bad third and Enthusiast eighth ; 

 the Princess of Wales' Stakes at Ascot with the full 

 penalty — and with odds of 9 to 2 on him ; the St. 

 Leger with Miguel again second, and El Dorado 

 fourth ; the Lancashire Plate with Chittabob second, 

 beaten two lengths, and the French mare Alicante, a 

 two-year-old, third ; Seabreeze, a winner the year 

 before, as just mentioned, unplaced. The Royal 

 Stakes at the Newmarket Second October Meeting- 

 was Donovan's last appearance carrying a silk jacket, 

 but in his two seasons he had won for his owner the 

 sum of ^54,935, not counting what he secured by 

 runnino- second on the occasion of two of his three 

 defeats. Until Isinglass topped this record, Dono- 

 van's winnings had been nearly ^20,000 more than 

 had ever been won by any other horse, Ayrshire 

 coming third on the list with under ^36,000, as will be 

 seen by reference to the table. He was of course a 

 very good horse indeed, though the disposition is not 

 to rank him with Ormonde and St. Simon, and whether 

 he or Isinglass was the better is a subject on which 

 opinions are and always must be divided. At the stud 

 he has not so far proved notably successful, Velasquez 

 having been by far his best son. 



