418 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



These were the two finest races I ever saw, or will ever 

 see again." 



Eobert Osborne died in 1892, and William Osborne 

 retired from the partnership in '94, after having been 

 practically the head and front of the training operations 

 since the father's death, twenty-nine years previous, 

 "Master John" thus being left alone in his glory at 

 Brecongill. 



Eobert Osborne was born at Ashgill on September 

 13th, 1838. He may therefore be regarded as one of 

 Yorkshire's sons. Matriculating in the stable, he was 

 at eleven years of age employed by his father until 

 increasing weight stopped him riding in public, his 

 career as a horseman being a brief one. Amongst 

 celebrated animals he rode belonging to his father was 

 the flying Exact, this being the filly that John Osborne 

 places as the absolute best ever raised at Ashgill. 

 When seventeen years of age Eobert Osborne rode 

 Manganese the first time she won, the race being the 

 old-established Bishop Burton Stakes, for two-year-olds, 

 at Beverley. In the spring of 1855, barely a month 

 before the Derby, Mr. Popham, the owner of Wild 

 Dayrell, hired from old John Osborne his four-year-old 

 Gamelad to lead the classic son of Ion in his work for 

 the great Epsom race, and also to have his services as 

 trying tackle. Eobert Osborne, who enjoyed the full 

 confidence of his father, took Gamelad to the South 

 from Ashgill, and rode him in the trial at 7 st. 3 Ib. 

 Wild Dayrell was ridden by Eobert Sherwood, and 

 carried 8 st. 10 Ib. To make the pace trustworthy, 

 Jack Charlton joined in with Jack Shepherd, who was 

 accounted very smart over a mile. Wild Dayrell, no 

 doubt a great horse at the time, ran clean away from 

 the pair, winning the trial by 100 yards. Eobert 



