AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 97 



Vedette's career for the remainder of the season was 

 untarnished by defeat, his successes embracing the Ebor, 

 St. Leger, and the Great Yorkshire Stakes, in which he 

 was ridden by Ashmall; the Fitzwilliam Stakes at 

 York, ridden by Chaloner; and the Doncaster Stakes, 

 in which John Osborne was his pilot, the horses behind 

 him in this latter event being Black Tommy, Warlock, 

 Commotion, Drumour, and Melissa, the latter of whom 

 bolted after passing the chair the first tune, and 

 Drumour broke down. 



The " Druid " relates that Vedette began the world 

 as " West Hartlepool," having been named by Mr. John 

 Bowes. " Nothing could have been more uncompro- 

 mising than his yearling look, as his head was big, his 

 middle like a brood mare's, and his hocks very far 

 behind him, and hence, much as Lord Zetland liked 

 the blood, he wavered for some time till Mr. Williamson 

 used all his eloquence in favour of ' the ugly one/ At 

 last the 250 * went the right way, and unpromising 

 as the beginning seemed, it is doubtful whether ever such 

 a horse had been at Aske. He had quite as little notion 

 as Fandango of leaving off, and for pace and staying 

 as well, if the jockeys were polled he would have as 

 many votes as Voltigeur. When the chronic rheu- 

 matism was not troubling him, few had such action, 

 and as he went with his head down he seemed to ' get 

 all he stretched for.' He was the last horse Job Marson 

 ever rode in public, and Job told the stable that 

 Voltigeur the second had been found at last. His first 

 great trial was at Catterick before the Two Thousand, 

 at even weights, a mile and a half with Ignoramus and 

 the four-year-old Gaudy, while Skirmisher received 



* John Osborne states the sale price at 100. 

 H 



