1 64 Saddle and Sirloin. 



cally a horse must be served, if he is ever to make a 

 name, and some of the best racers have sprung from 

 the most unlikely dams. His yearlings held the 

 yard when we were last there, and we could not help 

 remarking that a great many of them were like Fan 

 dango in their type. Boucan (own brother to Brigan- 

 tine) most especially, bore a strong resemblance to 

 that horse, and curiously enough Brigantine is in shape 

 precisely the sort of filly Fandango got. Formosa 

 was the queen of the lot that year, and Mr. Cookson 

 could hardly make up his mind not to train her. He 

 bought her in at Doncaster for 700 guineas, and slept 

 upon it, and next morning he sought Mr. Graham, 

 who had bid 690 guineas out of respect to Regalia. 

 That lucky gentleman was seated at breakfast, and 

 when he heard Mr. Cookson's mission, he signed a 

 cheque for 700 guineas without more ado, and then 

 resumed his egg. The bargain did not take up two 

 minutes, and the mare won him 2O,38o/. in her first 

 two seasons. So much for prompt decision and " fol- 

 lowing the blood." 



The now-deserted kennels at Neasham Abbey re- 

 mind the hunting man of many a good day, when the 

 late Mr. Wilkinson had the Hurworth. His last day 

 in the field was on December i/th, 1861, when the 

 hounds met at Croft, and found a fox in Forty Acres, 

 which was killed at Warmire, near Halnaby, after a 

 clipper of \\ hours. The chestnut brood mare Shot 

 survived her master by five years, and then she ended 

 her days honourably in the copper of the Hurworth. 

 Will Danby is now at his old home near Askham 

 Bogs. The last time we saw him he was paying his 

 annual visit to York Races, and he and Captain Percy 

 Williams, whom he claims to have entered to hounds, 

 were talking of old days in Holderness by the side of 

 the cords, instead of attending to Lady Allcash and 

 the Members' Plate. It was there Will told us the 

 story of Sparkler (by Badsworth Dashwood from York 



