182 THE ENGLISH TURF 



well versed in such matters that five of the seven starters 

 were worth ;^6o,oc)0, and I am far from saying that this 

 was an over-estimate of their value. The five were Isinglass, 

 Ladas, Ravensbury, Raeburn, and Throstle. That ;^20,ooo 

 would have been given for either of the first-named two 

 is, I believe, certain, and if I put Ravensbury and Raeburn 

 at ;^8,ooo a piece, and Throstle, who six weeks later beat 

 Ladas for the St. Leger, at ;;^4,ooo, the amount is made 

 up. Isinglass had clipped the wings of Ladas in the 

 Princess of Wales' Stakes at Newmarket, and of course 

 started favourite. He won again in great style, and was 

 without doubt the champion of his day. Indeed, it is 

 questionable whether any other winner of the Eclipse Stakes 

 takes higher rank, unless it be Persimmon ; and between 

 the pair superiority can never be determined, as Isinglass 

 was foaled three years before the Prince of Wales' colt. 



The year 1895 was much poorer as regards class, as will 

 be easily understood when it is stated that favouritism was 

 divided between Whittier, None the Wiser, and Le Var. 

 All were beaten by the French three-year-old Le Justicier, 

 whose jockey very likely stole a march upon Watts, Finlay, 

 Cannon, and others by making such strong running that 

 no one went after him until it was too late. In 1896 

 St. Frusquin had nothing but Regret, Labrador, and 

 Troon to beat, and the odds that were laid on were 

 landed in most decisive fashion, Mr. Leopold de Rothschild's 

 good and game horse pulling through with a lot to spare. 

 In 1897 Persimmon, though he had been trained for and 

 had won the Ascot Cup, demonstrated his marked superiority 

 to Velasquez, but the latter was able to win in the next year, 

 when the quality of the field was exceedingly moderate, 

 as may be realised from the fact that the wayward Batt 

 was second, and the very uncertain Goletta third. Though 

 Velasquez was never in the front rank, he asserted himself 

 very decisively in such a field. 



About the two most recent Eclipse winners. Flying Fox 

 and Diamond Jubilee, I have written in connection with 

 their respective Derbys, so that further reference to them 

 is unnecessary. Both were acquisitions to the roll-call of 



