Celebrities of the Past Thirty Years 137 



In 1865 a remarkably good field came to 

 the post for tlie Grand National, including 

 that sterling performer L'Africaine, a fear- 

 fully hard puller, Emblem, Thomastown, Joe 

 Maly, who was made favourite, Alcibiade, 

 and Hall Court, a rare old-fashioned type of 

 hunter. Mr. " Thomas " cut out the work for 

 part of the journey on Thomastown, but this 

 time he had nothing to do with the finish, 

 which was left to Captains Coventry and 

 Tempest on " Cherry " Angell's Alcibiade and 

 Hall Court respectively. The result of a 

 desperate race home was in favour of the 

 former by only a head. L'Africaine, beaten 

 by his weight and the pace combined, was 

 early out of the race. 



A rare good judge of a horse, Mr. Studd, 

 was destined to own the next year's winner, 

 Salamander. Mr. Studd was travelling in 

 Ireland on the look-out for some hunters 

 when he chanced upon a rough-coated colt 

 sheltering in a dirty hovel. Taken with his 

 make and shape he soon struck a bargain 

 with the owner for him, and brought him 



