LORD PALMERSTON. 211 



Buckthorn was a nice horse, rather above the 

 average size of the Venisons, and, like his father, 

 stayed well. He was probably the best horse his 

 lordship ever had, and certainly the best he ever bred, 

 being by Venison out of Zeila. As a two-year-old 

 he ran second to Little Savage for the Two-year-old 

 Stakes at Winchester, third to Elcot and Flirt for 

 the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, and not placed in 

 the New Stakes at Ascot, won by Robbie Noble. As 

 a three-year-old, he ran nine times and won five, and 

 cantered over for the Wiltshire Stakes, dividing 

 the forfeit with Mr. Winch's Proudfoot. He won at 

 the following provincial meetings : Stockbridge, 

 Winchester, Salisbury, and at his lordship's favourite 

 meeting, Tiverton. 



The race for the Ascot Stakes, in 1853, when thir- 

 teen ran — King Pippin, the same age, four-} r ear-old, 

 being second, Buckthorn giving him nearly 2 st. — 

 was remarkable for the distance which my brother 

 Alfred lay away from his horses; I should think, 

 certainly more than 100 yards behind the one immedi- 

 ately before him, and how far from the first I can't 

 say. About a mile from home, and even less, he was 

 considered out of it altogether by the spectators. But 

 he crept up, little by little, till rounding the bend, 

 and when fairly in the straight he came with a rush, 

 and won by half a length. At such a ' masterly 

 exhibition,' as it was called, Alfred was complimented 

 over and over again in the highest quarters, besides 



14—2 



