80 THE HORSE 



money but 100 sovs. The subscribers were forty-three, and 

 the quality of eight out of the nine runners remarkable. 

 One of them was Virago, then at the height of the reputa- 

 tion that was fully warranted by her remarkable per- 

 formances during the earlier part of that season of 1854. 

 Up to the time of her appearance on Knavesmire she had, 

 within a few months, carried off the City and Suburban and 

 Great Metropolitan Stakes (on the same day) ; the Great 

 Northern Handicap and the Flying Dutchman's Handicap 

 at York ; the One Thousand Guineas ; The Goodwood Cup 

 and the Nassau Stakes ; and the Yorkshire Oaks. Amongst 

 her opponents for the County Plate were older horses of 

 remarkable speed. One was Ephesus, a winner of the Earl 

 Spencer's Plate, under 9 st. 7 lb. ; another, Orestes, the 

 property of Baron Rothschild ; a third, Vindex, who had 

 done smart things under the white, scarlet, and black of Sir 

 Charles Monck ; and another, King of Trumps, a good horse, 

 but, on the whole, not a lucky one. Another competitor 

 was the light-hearted Kingston, whose death caused the 

 founder of the Middle Park Plate so much sorrow ; a very 

 fast Hetman Platoff three-year-old called Hospodar, the 

 property of Lord Zetland ; and Ellermire, by Chanticleer 

 out of Ellerdale, a brown two-year-old filly, owned by 

 Admiral Harcourt, and ridden by Aldcroft at 6 st. 9 lb. 



"Although Virago had been trained for long-distance 

 races, she was believed to be such a wonder that few doubted 

 her ability to win over the T.Y.C. even when opposed by 

 'fliers.' Odds of 2 to 1 were betted on her, next in 

 demand being Orestes at 6 to 1. Of Virago it may be 

 stated that she was to all intents and purposes never in the 

 race, and after Orestes, King of Trumps, and Ephesus had 

 looked dangerous, the two-year-old won a most stirring race 

 from King of Trumps by a head, Ephesus being beaten half 

 a length from the second, and finishing a head in advance of 

 Hospodar, who only had a slight advantage over Orestes ! " 

 Kettleholder was 16.1 in height, and a splendid fencer, 

 and used to jump the walls in his stride as if he was 

 steeplechasing. Though we did not get away with the 

 very first, it did not take long before we were up with 



