FOURTH PERIOD : VICTORIA 197 



For the most excellent among the race-horses 

 of her Majesty's reign one would naturally look, 

 as usual, at the lists containing the names of those 

 that won what are called the ' classic ' races ; but 

 this would be to miss several that, whether from 

 want of entry, or from some other cause, are not 

 included among those winners. 



Such are Mr. John Plummer's almost legendary 

 Alice Hawthorne, who was nearly as dear as 

 Yorkshire Jenny or Beeswing to the Northern 

 heart, rivalled Fisherman in the number of her 

 Queen's Plates, and was the dam of Oulston and 

 Thormanby ; Mr. Ferguson's (the Hibernian 

 attorney's) Harkaway (known as ' the Irish 

 Eclipse,' sire of Baron Rothschild's celebrated 

 horse King Tom), whose wonderful performances 

 on the Curragh are said to have almost out- 

 Childersed the great Flying Childers. 



To come to more recent times, the eccentric 

 Peter, who (like Slane and Phlegon in their exer- 

 cise gallops) would stop to kick in the middle of 

 his work, as he did in the race for the Royal 

 Hunt Cup, and after this relief would go on again, 

 catch, and beat his field ; the unbeaten St. Simon, 

 and unconquered Barcaldine ; and lastly, Lord 



