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A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



But I have said enough to show that the Blue Ribbons of the Turf were not 

 always bestowed on the best horses of the year, then or now, and I can return with a 

 o-ood conscience to the St. Leger roll for a few more examples of the thoroughbred 

 of the day. By 1820 the popularity of that famous race was so firmly established 

 that no less than twenty-seven horses ran, then the largest field. Ditminanc made 

 all the running to the distance, where Sir E. Smith's St. Patrick (another lucky 

 mount for Johnson) went to the front and won in a canter. He showed his breeding 



Lard Scarborough's "Tarrare" (1823) by " Cation.' 



(by Walton from a daughter of Dick Andrews) by winning at York, Ascot, and 

 Pontefract in 1821. An example of a bad horse winning was Antonio in 1819, who 

 never did anything else, before or afterwards, and only scored the St. Leger by 

 five horses being left at the post. The race was run again without him and won by 

 Sir Walter, but the Stewards awarded it to Antonio (by Octavian, dam by Evander). 

 The field was not brilliant. The race for 1822 was still more surprising, for Theodore 

 was so lame that his jockey burst into tears at being ordered to ride him, and odds 

 of 1,000 to a walking-stick were laid against him. He was bustled off from the 



