Mr. John Jackson. 209 



Cup in '63, and ranked high in the second class both 

 as a racer and a stayer of the great Blacklock line. 

 When Mr. Jackson last visited the Root stud, he took 

 an immense fancy to Buttercup, then a two-year-old, 

 and offered Mr. Eastwood in vain every racehorse he 

 had in exchange for her. 



No one grudged less a good price for a yearling, 

 and the moment he was seen with that jaunty step 

 and open-mouthed laugh at the side of the ring, 

 bidders had to waken up to some purpose, as they 

 knew he would " follow the blood" if it had given him 

 a good turn before. He gave some high yearling 

 prices in his time — to wit, Elland, 300 guineas ; 

 Precious Stone 500 guineas ; Jupiter, 620 guineas ; 

 Repulse, 750 guineas; and so on; and when he 

 removed from Oran to Fairfield, and began as a 

 regular breeder of blood-stock in that model stud- 

 farm, 700 guineas for Woodbine and 7500/. for Blair 

 Athol did not stand in his way for an instant. Was 

 " Jock o' Fairfield" to bow his head to " old New- 

 minster and the Rawcliffe shop ?" — a likely thing, 

 indeed ! 



There were few horses he delighted in more than 

 the handsome little Neptunus, who was fourth for the 

 Derby, and, although he and Jupiter disappointed 

 him, he never seemed to falter in his fancy for the 

 Weatherbit blood. He also hired Carnival for three 

 seasons, but unfortunately paid forfeit to be off his 

 bargain after the first one. 



Cost what it might, like the late Mr. Theobald, he 

 would have the best of everything, and play the 

 Napoleon, if possible, in whatever he undertook. He 

 would have a stud of first-class brood-mares, and a 

 stud-farm inferior in its arrangements to none in the 

 kingdom, and Palmitine, Flower Girl, The Swift, and 

 Witchcraft were amongst the winners he bred and 

 sold. In 1868, two dozen yearlings were sold at his 

 sale on the Tuesday before York Meeting, and they 



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