264 MODERN FAKRIEE, 



upon the road declared that, in twenty years, he* 

 had not seen such crowds pass his gate of carriage 

 company, horse, and foot, the latter of all descrip- 

 tions, and all for the purpose of getting a sight of 

 the famous black horse. Many had come eighteen 

 or twenty miles on foot, returning through the gate 

 till two o'clock in the morning. Crowds gathered 

 round him on the course, and he w^as then exhibited 

 to her majesty the queen and the princesses on the 

 royal stand. A man actually offered Sir Charles 

 Bunbury two hundred pounds for the use of his 

 horse, to make a show of ; and there is no doubt but 

 that Sir Charles, could he have done such a thing,, 

 might have made five hundred ])ouiids by exhibit- 

 ing him in London ! Among the curious tattle at 

 Egham, on the subject of this wonderful horse, it 

 went about that the day before the race he had been 

 stinted of his meat and water, according to the old 

 system; most probably a hoax of the groom, by 

 way of answer to some sage enquiry : it, however, 

 reached the ears of Sir Charles, who remarked to his 

 informant, that should a servant of his make so 

 gross a breach of his orders, ' he would never eat 

 any more of his beef and pudding.' It was reported 

 Sir Charles challenged all England, offering to take 

 four pounds, and run his horse against any horse of 

 ,his year, his horse not to take a sweat. Smolensko 

 was one of the healthiest, quietest, and best tem- 

 pered horses that ever was trained. He is about 

 sixteen hands and a half \\mh, full brother to Thun- 

 derbolt, got by Sorceror, a son of Trumpator, and 

 his pedigree is filled with our oldest and highest 

 racing blood. 



Goldfinch, by Lop, the property of John Turner, 

 Esq. acquired great celebrity as a hunter in the Mer- 

 shem or Jolliffe Hunt. Sharke, got by Marsk, his 

 dam by Snap, grand-dam by JMarlborough, brother 

 to Babraham, out of a natural Barb mare, was re* 

 nowned for his performances, which were deenled 



