LINES OF BLOOD 313 



heads, quite of the Arabian type. The crest has toned 

 down ; but the necks of Blacklock's descendants of the 

 present day are for the most part strong and slightly 

 arched, and at the moment I cannot call to mind a ewe- 

 necked horse of this breed. 



Blacklock, who was not trained at two years old, lost the 

 St. Leger by a neck to Ebor, but according to all the 

 accounts of the race he was shut in at the Intake turn, 

 and would certainly have won had he secured a clear course. 

 He had a very distinguished turf career, and at the stud 

 he sired one hundred and twenty-three winners who won 

 over ;^45,ooo in stakes. Amongst his successful progeny 

 was Voltaire, who, like Blacklock, was a high-class racehorse 

 and a successful stallion. Following in the footsteps of his 

 sire, he too was second for the St. Leger, but he won many 

 races and passed into the hands of the Duke of Cleveland 

 for ^2,000. He was a dark bay and is described as having 

 been rather " peacocky," but with a remarkably fine barrel. 

 From Martha Lynn by Mulatto he sired Voltigeur in 1847 ; 

 and it is a noteworthy fact that this horse as a yearling 

 failed to reach a ;^ioo reserve at the Doncaster sales. 



Voltigeur was a dark brown, somewhat heavy-necked and 

 heavy-fleshed, was bred by Mr. Stephenson, of Hart, in 

 the county of Durham, and though of direct Eclipse 

 descent, he had twenty-three strains of Herod blood against 

 fifteen of his direct paternal ancestor. What appears to 

 be a faithful description of Voltigeur was written at the 

 time, as follows : — 



" Voltigeur, a brown horse, with no white about him, beyond 

 a little on the off hind foot, stands fifteen hands three inches high. 

 He has a somewhat coarse head, small ears, strong muscular neck, 

 and fine oblique shoulders, with very good depth of girth ; he has 

 rather a light middle, but good back, powerful quarters, drooping 

 towards the tail, muscular thighs, and good hocks and knees, with 

 plenty of bone; docile, quiet temper, and excellent action." 



The object of the italics will shortly appear. 



This description is reproduced because it embodies a 

 distinctive characteristic of a certain family of the line of 

 Blacklock at the present day, and about which characteristic 

 there has been at times much argument but no satisfactory 



