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ENGLANDS HOST FAMOUS HOBSES William Allison cites Blair Atbol as the best horse in bis long and practical experience and could doubtless be supported in that opinion by William 1Aiison to whose father the horse belonged At his lirst outing the famous chestnut won the Derby auj coufirzaeil bis superiority iiy annexing also the St liegcr among his victims having been General Peel Scottish Chief Cambuslan and Miner which collectively make a fine array but still I doubt If they excelled in merit such as Minting The Bard and Saraband all of which would have won an aver ¬ age Derby but none of which could bold a candle to the late Duke of Westminsters grand horse Ormonde which was the triplecrowned hero of 18S6 and that too in spite of having been unsound in bis wind John Porter happily still alive and well and the practical pioneer of the successful Newbury meeting had many great horses through his hands during his remarkable career as a trainer as witness his wonderful classic record but does not hesitate Jo say that the mighty son of Bend Or and Lily Agues was out by himself the best and bearing in nilivii that he was never beaten it is not surpris ¬ ing that the majority of those who have recorded their opinion support Mr Porter in that view viewMatthew Matthew Dawson who was equally distinguished among trainers and had a no less successful career with equine celebrities was at the time responsible for the charge of Minting which he regarded as noth ¬ ing short of a wonder and well I remember his diimfoiuMlod countenance when he saw Ormonde leave him in the lurch in rising the ascent of the Abingdon Mile Bottom to the finish of the race for the Two Thousand Guineas Certainly it was a brilliant ex ¬ hibition as indeed were all bis performances on the turf for he was never beaten True he did not boat The Bard far in the Derby but he could have done it at the will of the inimitable Fred Archer of whom a characteristic tale can be told in con ¬ nection with Ormonde He was engaged to ride Saraband for the Guineas all the while thinking that that race was at the mercy of Minting until he suddenly bethought him that there might be danger from the Kingsclere champion and beset with that idea he being then closely allied with the stable he went down to ride him in a gallon In a subse ¬ quent inyersatioii with the late Charles Green ¬ wood f Hotspur fame he related his experience in words to the effect that he had previously thought the race at the mercy of Mr Vyuers big horse but that opinion was so far qualified that he wound up by saying But not now Charlie for this Is a veri ¬ table smasher and although it is sure to be a tre ¬ mendous race to the Bushes Ormonde will then draw away and win as Indeed he did It was by his advice I think that Minting declined a second go agninst the Duke of Westminsters champion in the Derby and was held in reserve for the Grand Prize of Paris with which he simply sauntered away unil who that saw it will ever forget the magnifi ¬ cent style in which the son of Lord Lyon with ten stone on his back and ridden by Fred Webb mowed down bis eighteen opponents in the Kcmpton Park Jubilee Handicap Assuredly Minting was a great horse but Ormonde Avas a greater greaterMatthew Matthew Dawsou had another grand horse in St Simon which had not yet seen a race course when subsequent to the tragical death of bis owner Prince IJatthyany lie was purchased by the Duke of Portland for 1000 guineas ou the same day that his dani St Angela was sold to Mr Leopold de Roths ¬ child for 22O guineas and Fulnicn which afterwards won the Lincolnshire Handicap was knocked down to Mr K NayJor for 5000 guineas The duke has Itad a fair share of fortunes favors during his con ¬ nection with the turf but never made such a splen ¬ did deal as when The Saint passed into his pos ¬ session for the horse wont through all his entrage inents not only undefeated but also unchallenged and his career at the stud was equally brilliant s a twovearold he won the Hulnakcr and Maiden Stakes at Goodwood and under 124 and 120 pounds respectively cantered away with the Devonshire Nursery at Derby and the Prince of Wales Nursery Ione mile at Doncaster and wound up by beating Duke of BIchmond pointless in their memorable match over the Bretby Stakes course at Newmarket Luckilv for all others concerned he was ineligible for the classic races the following season for he would have swept the Ixjard without a doubt To tonnnence with he was unopposed for the Epsom Cuid Cup next In beat Tristan and Faugh a Bal lauh and Iambic like so many hacks for the Ascot Onr then be won the Gold Cup at Newcastle and linall the Goodwood Cup after which he was re tlrodto the stud One of his sons Persimmon has beon instanced as the best horso of all time but his admirers must have forgotten that between him and St Frusquin also by St Simon there was nothing to choose as threeyearolds and those who chairi Ion Sceptre must have overlooked Ard Patrick CoL W Hall Walker gives preference over all others lo Isinglass but it has always been my opinion Jhat Teat as he was the sou of Isonomy was for tntat r in that he had never to throw down the gauntlet to Meddler during his classic career and that Idea I observe is continued by Joseph Cannon who considers the son of St Gatien and Busybody to have been the Ist race horse he ever trained whch is a tall order indeed from such an expe ¬ rienced judge Vigilant in London Sportsman
