ANNALS OF THE TURF. ^05 



Whynot, out of an Othello. 

 Dandridge's Fearnought, out of- 



Symmes' Wildair, out of a Jolly Roger, who p^roved to be tho 

 best son of old Fearnought. 

 Wildair got — . ^ 



Commutation, out of a Yorick mare. 



Highflyer, out of a Yorick mare. 



Chanticleer, out of a Pantaloon mare. 

 Chanticleer, the best son of Wildair, got — 



Magog, out of a Wildair. 



Prestley, [full sister to Magog,] the dam of Wilkes' Madison 



Cornelia, the dam of Mr. Randolph's Gracchus. 



The stock of old Medley may justly be ranked as among the most 

 /emarkable and valuable that have ever signalized themselves on a 

 Virginia race course. This stock of horses lacked nothing but 

 size to have made the best racers in the world ; and yet their want 

 of size was not manifested on the turf: as their ability to carry 

 weight exceeded that of any other stock ; they were also remarka- 

 ble for good wind or bottom, for fine limbs and good eyes, than 

 other race of horses that have been bred in Virginia. These quali- 

 ties resulted in this stock [and were more peculiar to them than to 

 any other,] from the close proximity of the points of the hips to the 

 shoulder, from the uncommon solidity of their bones, the close tex- 

 ture of their sinews, and the bulk and substance of their tendons, 

 which always enabled them to carry the highest weights, and to 

 endure the greatest stress on their bodily powers. To these quali- 

 ties may be added their uncommon purity of blood, derived from 

 their sire old Medley, who was one of the purest blooded horses 

 ever bred in England. 



Gimcrack the sire of Medley, was one of the most remarkable 

 horses of his day in England. He was a grey, and called the " lit- 

 tle grey horse Gimcrack," foaled in 1760, got by Cripple, a son 

 of the 'Godolphin Arabian. Gimcrack was one of the severest 

 running and hardest bottomed horses that ever ran in England ; 

 although small, yet his ability to carry weight was very great, for 

 he frequently gave the odds as high as 28 pounds, and he con- 

 tinued on the turf until 11 years of age, thereby showing his un- 

 common hardiness of constitution and firmness of limbs which he 

 richly transmitted into the veins of Medley. Gimcrack at four 

 years old won seven 501. plates, 4 miles ; also in 1765, at 4 miles, 

 50/ ; also 1000 guineas, 250 guineas forfeit. He beat the Duke of 

 Cumberland's Drone, 4 miles for 500 guineas, giving him 21 lbs. 

 In 1766 he was sent to France, and in 1767 returned to England, 

 and won in that year, four 501. plates, 5 miles. In 1768, two 50Z. 

 plates and the silver bowl. He beat Mr. Vernon's Barber for 300 

 guineas giving him 28 lbs. in 1770. He beat Lord Rockingham's 

 Tacho for 3000 guineas, giving him 28 lbs ; also Lord Rockingham's 

 Pilgrim for the whip and 200 guineas, the whip equal to the gui- 

 neas. Gimcrack was then 10 years of age. Earl Grosvenor had 

 two portraits taken of Gimcrack. That of Gimcrack preparing to 

 start is reckoned excellent of its kind. The two portraits, it is 

 said, represent this horse in different shades of grey ; the iron 



