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: i , , , ; . . J J 1 J f i 1 t I GREAT LINE OF RENOWNED STAYERS Wonderful Performances of Biacklock and His Descendants for Last Ninety Years. What a great number of stayers hare" come from the Biacklock line is evidenced by a perusal of the doings of his descendants for the last ninety years: One of Blaekloeks best perfoiimiTnSes-. was:, probably that in the Doncaster Stakes of four iriites-ihlSlS. when odds of. 2. to 1 were laid in Mr. Wntts bay colt Biacklock, .four .yearsi 10." pounds.fagalhst Mr. liaiiibtoirV. lmymare" TlfiirlTueliess, fiver yenrs, 113 pounds.-- Although here were only two runners out of fourteen original subscribers, the event was a remarkable one," for concerning this race and the Doncaster course "The Druid" tells us: "There could have been no finer treat than seeing Biacklock go the first two miles in 3:37 of that four-mile race over this course, in which he fairly galloped the St. Leger winner Duchess to death. Old yorkshireinen may well hate to hear him and Jiis blood abused. They tell how he went four miles at the same pace without a falter, reaching farther and farther, as it seemed to their, enraptured vision, at every stride. His queer forelegs and short tail and half-moon head did not improve him, but his stride was what they loved." As to the, staying qualities of Mr. Watts horse, who was lH-aten a most "unlucky short neck by Mr. Peirses. Kbor for the St. Leger of 1817, there can be no doubt, and it was the same with his son Voltaire, winner of the Doncaster Cup of two miles and five-eighths as a three-year-old in 1S20, he having an hour earlier walked over for the Gas-coigne Stakes, and. two days previously finished a goorl second to Mr. Petres Rowton in the St. 1ger. VOLTAIRES ONLY FAILURE. Bred by It. Stephenson. Voltaire, a handsome brown, won only two races he contested as a juvenile, and was then sold to Lord Cleveland for 2,000 guineas. II is lordships colors, were "pink and black stripes, black cap," now those of Captain Frank Forester, who inherited much Of the last Duke of Cleveland wealth, the peer who owned Voltaire being the first duke. I may add the Doncaster Cup was Voltaires last race, hi only failure being in the St. Iieger. Then in 18.10 we find Voltigeur, after having on the Wednesday run two heats for the St. Leger, wherein he defeated Russbprough by a length In the run-off, .coming out for the Cup two days later, run over two. and one-half miles, and beating The Flying Dutchman, on which odds of 4 to 1 were laid, by what was probably a fortunate half length. This was the Dutchmans only defeat, and, according to every report of this contest, Marlow most .distinctly did not shine upon Lord Eglintons champion The best of Voltigeurs progeny. Vedette, won the Doncaster Cups of 18311. and 1857 for Lord Zetland, and although the latters crack offspring, Galopin, never ran more than a mile and a half, his trainer. John Dawson, thought the Derby winner of 1S75 a thorough stayer. When his owner. Prince Batthy-any, decided upon withdrawing the colt from the turf at the end of his three-year-old career, Dawson implored him not to do so, one of the arguments he brought to bear being that if the prince would keep Galopin in training he was certain to win the Gold Cup at Ascot in 1870. -This event fell to Apology, and. although a. good mare, there is no sort of question that Galopin was greatly her superior as a racer. ST. SIMON AND HIS PROGENY. Continuing the direct male line from Biacklock we come, to St. Simon, whose Cup win at Ascot, as I have several times mentioned in these columns, was the most smashing performance I ever saw any horse accomplish in my experience. Thirteen years later one saw St. Simons best son, Persimmon, Min the Gold Cup in magnificent style, .when he beat like the veriest commoner Winkfiehls Tride, whose trainer, Robinson, thought certain to win. Persimmon was, however, a veritable champion that day, when Dick Marsh had him more to his liking than at any time during the colts career. He was also a great stayer, as was the best colt he ever sired, Zinfandel, winner of the Gold Cup for Lord Howard de Walden in 1805. and which palpably ought to have won the same event at Ascot the previous year,- as Willie Lane fairly stole the race on Mr. Frank Alexanders Throwaway. Throe others of Persimmons offspring. Prince Palatine, Sceptre and Your Majesty, all St. Leger winners, were also excellent stayers, the Prince securing two Ascot Cups. Few horses ever stayed better than another of St. Simons sons. William the Third, which copied his fathers example by winning the Gold Cup of 1902 in such grand fashion that immediately after the race, when I congratulated the Duke of Portland on the victory of his horse, his grace, who owned both the winner and his sire, remarked: "I believe over a long distance of ground lie is as good as his sire." Another great stayer, was Mr. Howards Willonyx, by William the Third, which r captured the Ascot Cup of 1911. Such an illustration of direct stamina transmitted from horse to horse since Black-locks far-off day, he having been foaled in 1814, cannot be found in any other line; and If Dr. Shorthouse were now alive he could not possibly have maintained the dislike to Biacklock blood which onee obsessed him. Audax in Horse and Hound.
