HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 7 



Europe, or perhaps the whole world. For sup- 

 porting a continuance of violent exertion (or what 

 is called, in the language of the turf, bottom) , they 

 are superior to the Arabian, the Barb, or the 

 Persian ; and for swiftness, they will yield the 

 palm to none. An ordinary Racer is known to go 

 at the rate of a mile in less than two minutes; but 

 there have been instances of much greater rapid- 

 ity; the famous Horse, Childers, has been known 

 to move eighty-two feet and a half in a second, 

 or nearly a mile in a minute ; he has run round 

 the course at Newmarket, which is little less than 

 four miles, in six minutes and forty seconds. 



ECLIPSE was allowed to be the fleetest Horse that ever ran in 

 England since the time of Childers. After winning king's plates and 

 other prizes to a great amount, he covered, by subscription, forty 

 mares, at thirty guineas each, besides those of his owner. 



HIGHFLYER was accounted the best Horse of his time in England. 

 The sums he won and received amounted to near 9,ooo/., though he 

 never started after five years old. He was never beaten, nor ever 

 paid a forfeit. 



MATCHEM, a Horse belonging to the late W. Fenwick, Esq. of By- 

 well, besides being a capital Racer, was particularly remarkable as a 

 stallion, and may be truly said to have earned more money than any 

 other Horse in the world. He was engaged, during nine years of his 

 life, to cover twenty-five mares, at fifty guineas a mare, and was un- 

 commonly successful in the celebrity of his progeny, having been sire 

 to many of our most famous running Horses. He was remarkable 

 for being the quietest stallion that ever was known; to which, per- 

 haps, may be attributed his great age, being in his thirty-third year 

 when he died. 



SHARK won, besides a cup value 120 guineas, and eleven hogs- 

 heads of claret, the astonishing sum of 15,507 guineas, in plates, 

 matches, and forfeits. 



On the 25th March, 1799, a match for 3000 guineas was run at 

 Newmarket, by Sir H. Vane Tempest's HAMBLETONIAN, and Mr. 

 Cookson's DIAMOND, and won by the former. It was supposed that 

 wagers to the amount of nearly ttoo hundred thousand pounds were 

 betted on the event of this severe race. 



