136 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



by my father, he was by Voltigeur out of Merry 

 Bird by Birdcatcher out of Miss Castling. Lord 

 St. Vincent bought Zetland from us for 3000 gs. 

 Lord Clifden was a two-year-old in '62, but I 

 never rode him that season, his owner, Lord St. 

 Vincent, always putting Fordham up; in fact, 

 I never rode him before winning the St. Leger 

 on him the following year. 



" Also notable amongst the Ashgill racers in 

 '62 were Rapparee and Zetland ; and the follow- 

 ing year there was Little Stag, Lady of 

 Coverham, and Coastguard. Then Cathedral, 

 who would be a two-year-old in '63, but he only 

 ran once that season, nor did he do much the 

 following as a three-year-old. The Miner was 

 also a two-year-old in '63. A thorough good, 

 game horse, of good size, not perhaps quite 16 

 hands. He wouldn't be quite so big a horse as 

 Rataplan, I should think. The Miner was at 

 Ashgill when being trained for the Two Thou- 

 sand Guineas. The ground was very hard, he 

 couldn't act on it, and he ran very badly over 

 the Rowley Mile. He had been tried a good 

 horse in the spring of the year before ' The 

 Guineas.' He belonged to Mr. Launde (Parson 

 King), and remained with us throughout his 

 career. 



" Now, I rode The Miner in his race with 

 Blair Athol in the ' Great Yorkshire ' on 

 Knavesmire. He was receiving 7 Ibs. from Mr. 

 I'Anson's colt. It was a strong run race, and he 

 wore Blair Athol down. As Blair Athol had won 

 the Derby just before, you can imagine there was 

 a bit of excitement over the race. Wm. I'Anson 



