THE DUKE OF PORTLAND 



1884 



Epsom (Jold Cup (Epsom) . . . £780 



Gold Cup (Ascot) 1300 



Gold Cup (Gosforth Park) . . . 300 



Goodwood Cup (Goodwood) . . . 4-1-0 



£2820 



This amounts to £4670 : 15s., rather less than 

 he would have secured in the Derby alone had 

 Prince Batthyany lived a little longer. Under the 

 circumstances the Duke of Portland was doubt- 

 less wise to send him to the stud. His success 

 was never in doubt from the very outset, though 

 it was for some years mainly due to his daughters,' 

 of whom Memoir, Signorina, La Fleche, and 

 Amiable were some of the most distinguished ; and 

 Avhen some people were beginning to say that he 

 could not get a good colt. Persimmon and St, 

 Frusquin made their appearance in a single season 

 to confute the slander. To have headed the list 

 of winning stallions for six years in succession 

 places St. Simon almost on a par with Stockwell 

 himself, and, after the recent precedent set by 

 Galopin, there is no reason why he should not 

 hold the premiership several times more. 



The " seven years of plenty" may be said to 

 have begun with the advent of Ayrshire, a bay 

 colt by Hampton out of Atalanta. He possessed 

 a fine constitution and good temper, but was 

 exceedingly high - couraged, and had a narrow 

 escape from a very awkward accident in his year- 

 ling days. He was in the breaking tackle, with a 

 lad on his back, and a man on each side to lead 

 him. Suddenly he whipped round and round, and, 

 in a few seconds, had lashed the two men firmly 

 together with the cavesson reins, but fortunately 

 there was plenty of assistance at hand, and no 



177 N 



