HERMIT AND ISINGLASS 



must have been a terrible trial for a son of 

 Newminster, and it is not surprising that he 

 never earned another bracket, though he had 

 eleven more tries in that and the two following 

 seasons. It was no disgrace to be beaten twice 

 in succession by Friponnier, who was in receipt 

 of weight upon each occasion, and was a very 

 remarkable three -year -old indeed, and Hermit 

 began his third season creditably enough with a 

 very gallant attempt to give 7 lb. to Julius over 

 the D.I., but, after that, he steadily trained off, 

 and I need not trace his racing career further. 



He began stud life at Blankney in 1870 at a 

 fee of 20 guineas, which seems a ridiculous one for 

 a Derby winner bred as he was, but, of course, the 

 constant defeats he had sustained had seriously 

 depreciated his value. However, his success was 

 never in doubt from the very outset, as in 1874 

 his brilliant son. Holy Friar, won six of the seven 

 races in which he took part. Unfortunately the 

 death of his owner, " Parson Launde," disqualified 

 him for the Derby, though he might not have been 

 able to run at Epsom under any circumstances, as 

 he never appeared in public after his two-year-old 

 days. In 1875 Hermit's fee was most justifiably 

 raised to 100 guineas, and, five years later, it was 

 further increased to 150 guineas. Then came the 

 triumph of Thebais in the One Thousand and 

 Oaks of 1881 ; in the following season Shotover 

 secured the Two Thousand and Derby, St. Mar- 

 guerite won the One Thousand, and Trappist, 

 Peter, and Out of Bounds were securing numer- 

 ous important successes about this time. These 

 triumphs were succeeded by the Derby victory 

 of St. Blaise in 1883, whilst Lonely credited the 

 Blankney sire with another Oaks in 1885, and 

 Nellie, Marden, Queen Adelaide, St. Helena, 



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