56 The Life of Fred Archer 
who revelled over the Mostyn Mile, and Charity, the third great 
Liverpool Steeplechase winner, some of the best Gullane geld- 
ings took to the road at last. Wee Willie, Zoroaster, and Clym 
o' the Clough all came trotting out at the sound of the horn to 
take their turn in the fourteen miles an hour ' Defiance ' ; and 
Pyramid, who led out of Edinburgh when two bays and two 
greys cross-fashion was Mr. Ramsay's delight, worked himself 
stone blind in the cause. The old ' Ury lion ' was roused once 
more in his lair, and horsing this crack coach from Lawrencekirk 
to Aberdeen, and driving it many a stage, was as great a boon 
to him as getting up his dog Billy's muscle for another fight or 
going through solemn pedestrian exercises for the same end 
with ' my friend Tom Cribb.' " 
Even the gravest Edinburgh professors liked to see the 
Ramsay coaches, with their rich brass-mounted harness and 
the scarlets and white hats when the dashing young owner was 
on the box, and Ahck Cooke, Jim Kitchin, George Murray, 
and Jamie Campbell were the reigning favourites. 
Soon after the death of George Dawson's famous son Mathew 
the following appeared in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic 
News of August 27, 1898 : 
" Cramond Regatta being on about a week ago, we thought 
we would have a look at Barnton, a name ever to be 
associated in the annals of the British Turf with that genuine 
British sportsman the late Mr. Ramsay, the owner of Laner- 
cost, Martha 'Lyrm, the Scotch-bred Voltigeur, and numerous 
other grand racehorses. No doubt Dalmeny, which is just 
over the Cramond Water, can now show a better record as far 
as victory in the classic events goes, but if one meets with any 
old veteran about the coaching haunts of Edinburgh, wearing 
a square hat and his trousers drawn somewhat tight about his 
knees, he may be prepared to hear that there never was such a 
game owner of racehorses as Ramsay of Barnton, and never 
will be again, sir. Never, sir. 
" Ramsay^is as much of the past as the thoroughbreds he 
