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John Dennis, nor anyone else in Ireland could do much better across 

 country than Tom Ferguson. 



In process of time he became possessed of an unnamed chestnut mare, 

 by Xabocklish out of Miss Tooley, bred by Lord Cremorne. He put 

 her to Economist, and in 1834 she dropped Harkaway. He was a late 

 foal, but grew into an oversized and ungainly colt. He was not paid 

 much attention to at first, nor was he started for a race until September, 

 1836, when, not half fit, he was beaten in the Angleseys at the Carragh. 



After this he was beaten three times and won twice, but it was not 

 until June, 1837, he showed his true form, when in the Kir wans he 

 proved himself one of the most extraordinary horses of the day. In 

 that race, carrying 7st. 13lb., he beat with the greatest ease such cracks 

 as Birdcatcher, Freney, Langford, Blackfoot, Mercury, and six others. 

 From that time forward Harkaway got little rest. He was run at every 

 Curragh meeting for a year after, and was beaten only in the Kirwans 

 of June, 1838, carrying oflF as he did in 1837 three King's Plates, the 

 Xorthumberland Handicap, the Wellingtons, the Kirwans (again in 

 October), the Challenge for same and the Royal Whip. In 1838 he won 

 the Rossmore Handicap, the Wellingtons, the Kirwans, and no less than 

 four Queen's Plates. Altogether, from September, 1836, till June, '38, 

 he ran twenty-three races at the Curragh, and won eighteen of them, 

 beating easily, after giving them lumps of weight, some of the best 

 horses ever bred in Ireland. 



During the same period we find the great chestnut at many of the 

 English meetings. His first appearance in England was at the Liverpool 

 July meeting of 1838, in the Tradesmen's Cup, for which he started 

 favourite, although carrying top weight and only recently arrived from 

 Ireland after a two days' voyage in a schooner. He ran splendidly, but 

 was beaten half a length by St. Bennett, to whom he gave 15lb., while 

 amongst the eleven behind him were such celebrities as Melbourne, 

 Cardinal Puff, and Cruiskeen. He pulled up very lame, but his 

 irrational and headstrong owner insisted upon running him next day. 

 He won the first heat easily, but was beaten in the second, and had to 

 be withdrawn. 



Ferguson's ability had then to be taxed to the utmost to get his horse 

 fit for the Goodwood Cup, which followed in less than a fortnight. To 

 southern Hampshire from Liverpool the good horse had to be caravanned, 

 and when he arrived, naturally he was anything but fit, or even fresb. 

 Nevertheless he won the race without an efForfc from a large field of 

 horses, amongst them being Dormouse, D'Egville, and Miss Adrien, to 

 all of whom he conceded great weight. 



At Cheltenham, in 1839, he beat another lot, including Caravan and 

 Grey Momus, the latter having previously won for Lord George 

 B ntinck the Two Thousand and the Leger, the Ascot Gold Cup, the 

 Grand Duke Michael and the Drawing Room Stakes, besides other 

 great races. This was a huge triumph for Ferguson, who hated with 

 intensity Lord George, with whom he was continually at variance. 



