242 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



Athol that we walked into the ditch instead of through 

 the gate which opens on to the grass near the Bury road. 

 However, that did not matter, and we were out betimes 

 next morning to see Silvio, who with the rest of the 

 Heath House string was walking round not far from the 

 Cesarewitch stand. Lord Falmouth was there, and he 

 was good enough to also tell us how Silvio had been tried, 

 for he was as great a believer in Blair Athol as we were, 

 and was glad to impart such good news. He agreed that 

 the trial was very high, " but," added he, " I question 

 whether it is good enough to beat Chamant." 



Silvio was a bay colt of medium size and perfect quality. 

 He was of a type such as Blair Athol several times sired 

 out of Kingston mares, the " nick " no doubt coming 

 through Queen Mary, for Partisan was her grandsire as 

 also he was Kingston's. Silverhair, the dam of Silvio, 

 had been several times mated with Blair Athol, the first 

 produce being Silver Ring, a beautiful and very good 

 filly, of the same type as Silvio. The second was Garterly 

 Bell, a bigger and more heavily framed colt, but quite a 

 good one until his wind became affected. Then came 

 Silvio and, after him, Lohengrin, who was a two-year-old 

 when we stood there looking at the string. Lohengrin 

 was a big chestnut colt and a typical Blair Athol. Refer- 

 ring to the great difference between him and Silvio, Lord 

 Falmouth said, merely in jest, to the Cobham manager : 

 " You must have made a mistake, I chink, about that one," 

 pointing to Silvio, " and put the mare to Macaroni." 



Somehow this remark, which had no touch of serious 

 meaning, got repeated, and people ultimately ascribed 

 to it an altogether unintended significance. As Lord 

 Falmouth used always to send a man of his own with 

 such of his mares as visited Blair Athol, he could not for 

 a moment have really entertained any such idea, and 

 those who imagined there was anything in it were un- 

 deceived later on when many of Silvio's stock showed 

 distinct Blair Athol characteristics. 



There were two very grand two-year-old fillies by Blair 



