614 



A H1STORV OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



Royal Meath is the best son of Ascetic now at the Irish stud. Two more good 

 Irish sires are Atheling (sent to the United States a short time ago) and his near 

 relation Enthusiast. 



Irish horses have left an indelible mark on English steeplechasing records, 

 and of the five horses who have won it twice (Peter Simple, Abd-el-Kader, 

 The Lamb, The Colonel, and Manifesto] they can actually claim the first three. 

 They began early with four entries for the Grand National of 1847, including 

 Mat hew, the winner, and Brunette, that famous mare who went all over Ireland 

 in a van. Mathew was by a son of Whalebone, who proved to be a cornerstone 

 of merit. Emblem and Emblematic traced to the Whalebone source through 



Teddington, Orlando, 



Touchstone, and Camel. 

 \ 



In 1849 Ireland was 



first and second with 

 Peter Simple (the first 

 dual winner) and The 

 Knight of Gwynne ; and 

 next year they actually 

 secured " one, two, 

 three," with the same 

 horse second, Abd-el- 

 Kader first, as he was 

 next year, and Lord 

 Waterford's Sir John 

 third. After The Lamb 



in 1868, and the repeated victory of 1871, there was no winner from the Emerald 

 Isle till Martha was third to The Liberator in 1879,- Empress, in 1880, had two 

 compatriots behind her; and the Irish mare Frigate was second in 1884, 1885, and 

 1888, and winner in 1889. Cloister was bred by Lord Fingall early in 1884. and 

 developed into a very powerful animal, with a splendid back and limbs, bay with 

 black points. The blood of his sire Ascetic was returned through his dam Grace II., 

 who was a granddaughter of Newminster and great-granddaughter of Venison. His 

 first attempt at the Grand National, in 1891, led to defeat by Come Away, who 

 gave him 5lb., and he failed next year to give the huge weight of 26lb. to Father 

 UFlynn. In 1893 he cantered home in record time under the crusher of i2st. 7lb. 



Liverpool. Grand National of \ 903. " Mathew " and 

 " Pawnbroker " leading over the water. 



