The Australian 'Thoroughbred 165 



out of imported Omen by Melbourne. Fisherman died beiore Yattendon went to the 

 stud, so he never served any of Yattendon's daughters. 



Yattendon got many good winners, his two best being Grand Flaneur and brave 

 little Chester. The latter was a brown horse, rather on the small order, but of as per- 

 fect conformation as one could desire. That he was a marvelous racehorse may be 

 inferred from the fact that he started but twice in races under one mile, all his other 

 efforts being from one mile to three. He was beaten at the latter distance by First 

 King, a large and well-grown three-year-old, carrying 102 pounds, while Chester, a 

 much smaller horse, had up 129 pounds, being then five years old. They covered the 

 distance in 5 126, then the world's record. If you wanted a consistent performer, then 

 Chester should have suited you, for he started 41 times, won 19 races and was only 

 four times unplaced. Chester's dam was imported Lady Chester by Stockwell, out of 

 Austrey by Harkaway, from Zeila by Emilius, from Appolonia by Whisker, the latter 

 mare being a full sister to Delphine (dam of Monarch and Herald), imported into 

 South Carolina by Col. Wade Hampton. Chester headed the list of Winning Sires in 

 1887, mainly through the victories of his peerless son Abercorn, who won the Sydney 

 Derby at three and the Great Metropolitan at five, carrying 134 pounds in a field of 

 22 starters and winning in a common canter in 3 134^ for the two miles. In 18891 

 Chester was again first, through Dreadnaught and Spice, the latter a sister to Aber- 

 corn. She won the Oaks both at Sydney and Melbourne, while Dreadnaught carried 

 off the Victoria Derby, both the St. Legers and wound up the season by winning the 

 Australian Cup, 2J4 miles, in 3:59/ / 2, with 118 pounds. When you consider that the 

 dead heat for the Saratoga Cup of 1875 (Springbok and Preakness) was made by two 

 aged horses with 115 pounds on each, this performance of Dreadnaught's does not 

 suffer by comparison. Another son of Chester's Carlyon, out of imported Moonstone 

 by Blair Athol also won the Australian Cup at the same age and the same weight, 

 but not in so fast time, but Carlyon "put it all over" Enfilade and Cyclops in the Loch 

 Plate (two miles) in the same week, covering the distance in 3 :35 on a track that was 

 slippery from a recent rain. Abercorn was such a good horse at weight for age that 

 his owner declined to let him run in any more handicaps after he won the Metropolitan; 

 and, at that same meeting, Abercorn carried off the Randwick Plate, three miles, in 

 5 :25 with 134 pounds up, winning by a dozen lengths. He is now owned in Ireland, 

 but I saw him at Cobham in Surrey in September, 1901. 



And now for one of the three great three-year-olds of the century, Ormonde, 

 and Henry of Navarre being the other two. Grand Flaneur was bred by Andrew 

 Town at his Tournaville Stud near Richmond, N. S. W. His dam was an imported 

 mare called First Lady by St. Alban's (St. Leger and Chester Cup of 1860) out of 

 Lady Patroness by Orlando, from Lady Palmerston by Melbourne, from a full sister 

 to Jocose (dam of Macaroni, Derby of 1863) by Pantaloon. The rest of the pedigree 

 is that of the immortal Touchstone and his brother, Launcelot, both St. Leger winners. 

 Grand Flaneur was a very large bay horse, quite sixteen hands high at three years 

 old and, being very growthy, was not trained at two. Before arriving at three he was 

 sold to Mr. William A. Long, who owned the Chipping Norton Farm, not far from the 

 Warwick Farm race-course, about thirty miles out of Sydney. He won nine straight 

 races without defeat, including the Victoria Derby, Melbourne Cup and Royal Park 

 Plate (2 l /2 miles) all in the short space of eight days. In the fall of that year he 

 won both St. Legers and wound up his glorious career by winning the Champion Race, 

 three miles, in a canter. But the question had been asked of this peerless colt just 

 once too often, for he broke down in the first strong move he got after winning the 

 Champion. In appearance he was very much after the style of Mr. Baldwin's Emperor 

 of Norfolk, save that he had a better set of legs and not so much daylight under him. 

 He got two good performers in Bravo and Patron, both winners of the Melbourne 

 Cup, and the latter is the only four-year-old in history to win that event with 126 



