ON RACING. 283 



it was then the pride and glory of the 

 noblest in the land to win and own ! 



Our great three-year-old races too, though, 

 of course, not so much affected by the same 

 cause, seem somehow to be less exciting than 

 of yore. Too often the Derby, the fields for 

 which are much smaller than they used to 

 be, is a one-horse race. 



There has been, it is true, of late years 

 an occasional close finish, as between Sir 

 Hugo and JJa Fleche in 1892, and Persimmon 

 and St. Frusquin four years later ; but when 

 shall we see again such a field for the Blue 

 Riband of the Turf as when the mighty 

 dark Blair At hoi galloped home in front 

 of Lord Glasgow's splendid colt General 

 Feel, with the favotirite Scottish Chief third, 

 and behind these the brave Cambuscan, 

 beautiful Ely, Coastguard, and Birch Broom, 

 all good enough, perhaps, to have won three 

 Derbies out of four, but in 1864 beaten out 

 of place by superior merit ? Or, again, but 



