TRAINERS AND JOCKEYS 51 



went Lord Derby, highly amused with the explanation, 

 though he was too prudent to offer any comment upon it. 



The glory of Middle Park stud-farm is now ancient Turf 

 history; yet the remembrance of such a splendid career as 

 that of Mr Blenkiron should not be allowed to fade from 

 the memories of sportsmen. It was he who really made 

 stud history, and yet he began in a very small way. Glance 

 by Venison out of Eyebrow by Whisker, one of Lord 

 George Bentinck's rearing, was the first brood-mare Mr 

 Blenkiron owned. He bought her, with two defeats on her 

 head, from Mr Sait, the steeplechase rider, and sent her 

 to John Osborne's to be trained. She ran three seasons 

 without scoring a win, and after the sixth time of asking 

 she retired from the Turf a maiden, in 1849. Mr Blenkiron 

 determined to breed from her ; and sent the filly at once to 

 Beverley. As the time of foaling drew nigh, a man was 

 hired to sit up with her ; and when a youthful courier 

 arrived one Sunday afternoon with the news that she had 

 foaled, Mr Blenkiron, who was entertaining some friends, 

 deserted his wine, and ran the quarter of a mile to the shed 

 at a wonderful pace, finishing a dozen yards in front of his 

 party, who arrived in straggling order quite blown ; and it 

 was jocularly said by their host, " It would be quite a 

 miracle if they did not all become roarers." On reaching 

 the shed they found the foal on his legs ; and when, in 

 course of time, the little brown colt was weaned, he was 

 brought to the five-acre field at the bottom of his owner's 

 garden, and made quite a pet of 



When quite a baby colt, Mr Blenkiron would lead it 

 about for hours in the paddock, and if city business pressed 

 he did not care how early he rose to fulfil the cherished 

 task. Of course, the yearling was matched, and, with 

 Alfred Day up, was only beaten by a head by Mr Clarke's 

 " Mr Sikes," for ^^"200, h. ft., at the Newmarket July 

 Meeting. The Prince of Wales's Stakes at York was his 

 next engagement, for which he was trained by old John 

 Gill of Richmond, who tried him with Guicowar ; but all 

 John would say about the colt was, " Ye can tell for your- 

 self when ye see Guicowar run, they're yen and same." 

 Guicowar ran badly, and old John thought the colt would 



