RACECOURSE AND PADDOCK.

THORMANBY. (Licensed Victuallers' Gazette.) When we remember the crreat reputation that that celebrated mare Alice Hawthorn made for herself on the turf, one might have imagined that there would have been a great demand for her yearlings, in the hope that Borne of the galloping ability that was inherent in the dam should have been transmitted to the progeny. Such, though, was scarcaly the case with Alice's son, Thormanby, who was hawked about for & whole week in the hope of finding a purchaser. Perhaps the reason of this was that previous to Thormanby, the old mara had not thrown anything very grand. She was the property of Me Benjamin Plummer, and after her racing career was over she commenced badly at the stud by missing two years in succession to Lanercost. The following year (1849) she threw a bay colt named Young Hawthorn, to the same horse. This youngster did no good, but her next alliance produed rather a useful colt in Lord Fauconberg. Terrona, by Touchstone, possessed a little form, but did not benefit her owner, a muoh better sort being Oulstan, by Nutbourne, who, however, was a somewhat unfortunate horse in his three- year- old career. Findou and Lady Hawthorn, by Touchstone and Wiudbound respectively, and Ooxwold, by The Eying Dutchman, came next, the filly being smart at two years old. To these succeeded Thormanby, a horse endowed with all his dam's fine constitution, and with a little more pace than she ever had. It was during the Doncaster week of 1856 that Mr Plummer wished to sell Thormanby. Strange to say that it was by a mare accident that Mr Merry secured the hor3e, as his breeder could not get a purchaser, and at last, in despair, and as a kind of forlorn hope, Mr Plummer sent for Mathew Dawson to come andlook him over. The moment Mat saw the youngster ha was smitten with him, and " Put him down to Mr Merry," was the only reply. Thormanby was got by Windbound out of Alice Hawthorn. Some three weeks before the service >by Windbound, Alice bad been put to Nutbourne, but she turned from him. As the last-named sire did not get a foal all that season, we may take it for granted that Windbound waß the sire of Thormanby. Alice Hawthorn was bred by Mr J. Plummsr in 1838, and was by Muley Moloch (son of Maley) out of Rebecca, by Lottery, out of a mare by Cervantes, out of Anticipation, by Beningbrough, out of Expectation, by Herod. Mathew Dawson was associated with John Prince in the management of the Russley stables when Thornmanby first came into bis hands. This alliance, though, was severed in 1859, when Prince resigned in consequence of some remarks made by Mr Merry on the condition of Sunbeam (who had won the St. Lager in the previous year) when she was beaten by her old opponent, Toxophilite, for the Post Stakes at New market. Thormanby was, like The Bard in recent years, one of the hardest worked two-year-olds ever known. He ran his first race at Northampton, and his last at the Newmarket Houghton gathering, being in hard training all the time. Altogether he started in 14 races, winning nine of thorn. It says much for his gameness and stoutness that he should have continued so fit, and then to come out like a lion refreshed and win the Derby. His first race was a sweepstakes at Northampton, where he beat Mainatone by a bead ; at York he took the Biennial, beating Rattlebone. He was third to Lupellus and Madame Eglantine for tha Two-year-old Stakes at Epaom Spring, but won the Mostyn Stakes at Chester, a Biennial at Ascot, and running second to Rupee for the New Stakes at the same meeting. At Goodwood Thormanby was successful in the Levant Stakes, and ran third in the Findon Stakes. He occupied the same position in the Convivial Stakes at York August, but at this meeting he won the Eglington and Grimorack Stakes ; at Ngwmarket Second October he ran third in the Clearwell, and won the Prendergast, s,nd at the Houghton meeting he won the Criterion Stakes. After this conte3 the was, by Mathew Dawson's advice, reserved for the Derby. During the winter Thormanby figured favourably in the quotations for the Blue Riband. The American horse Umpire was about the principal fancy, but Thormanby, Mainstone, The Wizard, and Buccaneer found themselves on his heels. Many of the best judges considered that Buccaneer would take the great turf prize of the year, as some doubted whether Thormanby would train on, and in some of his contests during his first season he seemed to lack spaed. Mr Merry's horse had several engagements during the spring of 1860, but he waß reserved all this time to be trained expressly for the Blue Riband, In the month of April Umpire became a good favourite, 6 to 1 being accepted freely about him at the Newmarket Craven meeting. It was at this gathering that the scratching of Buccaneer for the Two Thousand caused such a great sensation. After the Wizard had won the Guineas in the easiest possible fashion by three lengths, Mr Nicholl's horse became the most fancied at 4 to 1 against for the Epsom contest, 9 to 2 being offered against Umpire, 10 to 1 against Mainstone, and 10 to 1 against Thormanby. It was thought that John Oaborne would have the mount on Thormanby at Epsom, but such was not the case. Owing to the dearth of jockeys, Mr Merry provided himself with a "second string" from the Continent, having telegraphed on the Saturday previous to John Sharp, who had been living for some time past with young Count Henckel at Siemar- <

nowitz on the frontiers of Russian Poland, j Sharp started for Berlin at 3 o'clock on the Sunday afternoon, arrived there at 5 the 1 next morning, and reached Ostend at 11 on i Tuesday. Here he had to wait until 6in the evening, and in the meantime went wasting. Then he took the boat for Dover, arriving in London at 4 o'clock of the Derby morning, and proceeded immediately to Epsom, again going wasting, and succeeded in getting off nearly 9lb, so that on going to ecale he was scarcely three-quarters of a pound above the necessary 8 7 the coltß then had to carry in the Blue Riband. Sharp's name appeared on the talegraph as the rider of Thormanby, but in the paddock before mounting Mr Merry suggested to Sharp that, as distance knew the horse well, he had better ride Thormanby, and Sharp gladly acquiesced, taking hiß seat on the grey Northern Light. The Derliy Day, now known in racing history as "Thormanby V opened brilliantly. From an early hour in the morning the road and the rail were fillod with pleasure folks bound for Epsom Downs. The scone on the course had never been equalled. By noon, a couple of hours before the time appointed for the first race, the grand stand and its approaches were crowded with masses of spectators to see the great race. The opening event waß no sooner decided than a great rush was made to the paddock to inspect the several Derby favourites. Amongst those which particularly found favour in the eyes of the cognoscenti were The Wizard, Nutbourne, Thormanby, and Horror. Umpire, the American horse, went decidedly out of favour the moment he was seen, being light ..and haggard, and bearing evident symptoms of having gone through a hurried preparation. Thormanby and Nutbourne became favourites after they had been viewed, and those who stood badly against the Sussex horse had to get out at a Bhort price. There were 30 runners, and after the preliminaries the public were kept but a short time in suspense as Mr Hibburd, who was the starter, got them off on very fair terms at the second attempt. The pace was slow for the first three-quarters of a mile, but after rounding Tatt9nham Corner, Nutbourne, who was pulling double, and Umpire went to the front, and the tailing commenced. Ju3t after passing the road, Nutbourne broke down badly on both forelegs, and Umpire had shortly shot his bolt, leaving The Wizard with the lead, which he rptained until reaching the distance. Here Cußtance called upon Thormanby, who had always been lying well up on the whip band, and giving him one or two strokes with the whip, the horse answered as gamely as jn any of his two-year-old races, and won easily at last by a length and a-half from Ssott'e horse. Thormanby had been tried with Brother to Rainbow, and he had won his trial so easily that Mr Merry was confident, and he stood to take some £70,000. Mr Ten Broeck, the owner of Umpire, lost hsavily, as he backed his own horse to win a large stake, and he laid heavy auma between him and Thortnanby. It was reported that he made every horse a loser in .his book, with the exception of Captain Christie's Horror, who ran third, and his own horse, so confident was he of the pretensions of Umpire. It is the opinion of the jockeys who rode in the race that Nutbourne would have been either first or second if he had not broken down, and David Hughes, who rode him, declares that he thought he wa3 coming in alone, as he had never once aaked upon his horse, who was almost pulling him out of the saddle up to the time of his mishap. It is reported that never was a horse stripped in finer condition than Thormanby waß for the Derby. "H IS coat," saya "Argus," " was like a mirror, his muscle as developed as that of Heenan at the battle of Farnborough ; and when he gralloped past tha stand he hardly seemed to touch the ground." It is said that Custance received £1000 for riding the winner. Thormanby's triumph was celebrated with becoming rejoicing? at Rusaley, the poor of the parish being regaled with a dinner and amused with rustic games ; whilst every labouring man in the three adjoining villages had half a crown given him to drink the health of the horse and the owner, Thormanby was not Been again in public until The St. Leger. For some time after the Epsom race the Doncaeter contest was looked upon as a match between Thormanby and The Wizard— "a moral " for one of the two ; the latter's friends openly protested that the Epsom running was incorrect, and would be reversed at Doncaster. Both were "peppered" by the Ring, and in due course other candidates appeared upon the scene. The layers had plenty of money to bet against Thormanby, who was prevented from running in the Ascot Cup by the formation of a lump under his jowl outside, the reappearance of which a short time afterwards was magnified by report into strangles. Thormanby experienced many "a bad night" in the batting. Towards the lasi Mr Merry and Mathew Dawson expressed unbounded confidence, and the Derby winner finally left off first favourite a long way. The race for the Doncaster Town Moor prize was a magnificent one, and perhaps a better horse than St. Albans never won ifc. Earlier in the year he had carried off the Chester Cup and the Great Metropolitan at Epsom. Sabreur, ridden Oy J. Oaborne, was the great Yorkshirestar this season, and he took the lead at a pace which, if it could have been maintained, would have distanced all his competitors. After a quarter of a mile had been covered, Ssveetsauc9, who this year had won both the S towards' Cup and the Goodwood Cup, now ridden by Charlton, passed Sabreur, who, however, again put on steam and regained his position. Away this pair came rounding the Rsd House with a clear lead, followed by the American colt Umpire (Fordham), The Wizard (Aldcroft), and Lord Ailesbury's colt St. Albans (Luke Saowden). Crossing the road Umpire collared Sabreur, who here held ou*; uignals of distress, and shortly after gave place to The Wizard, who led tha flying squadron at a tremendous pace, and going himaelf so strongly that it looked 1000 to 1 on him. Here, however, Luke Snowden, seeing every other horso in the race was beaten, gave St. Albans his head, who, coming I with a mighty rush that electrified the bystanders, and followed by High Treason (R. Bullock) won by a couple of lengths. The Wizard was a neck behind the second, Sabreur baing fourth, and Thormanby fifth. The Defeat of Mr Merry's Horse waa greetod by a perfect yell of frenzy in the enclosure. After this cont9st Thormanby could not win a race that season. He was beaten by S^breur by three lengths in the Doncaster Cup, finished second to The Wizard for the Grand Duke Michael Stakes, and was defeated by a head by Tom Bowling for a £500 sweepstakes at the Newmarket First October meeting. As a four-year-old Thormanby showed a glimpse of his Darby form. He first won the Claret Stakes at the Newmarket Craven meeting, beating Umpire by 30 lengths. At the Newmarket First Spring meeting he walked over for two sweepstakes. In the Ascot Gold Cup, Thormanby had his revenge on his St. Leger conqueror, St. Albana. There wero seven runners, including the winner of the Derby and the Leger of the year previous, Fairwater.tParmesan, and Dulcibella. Dulcibella took up the running at

the Swinley post, and led them at a rare rats until the brick kilns, and then gave way altogether, leaving the lead with Parmesan, who was closely attended by St. Albans round the last turn, and both looked well. Just previously Custance was seen to be '"'at" Thormanby, thereupon there was a faint cry " The favourite's beat "; but it turned out to be laziness only, and a taßte of "tho prickers," coupled with the encouragement he received from Fairweather as she closed up with him, soon "roused the lion." After entering tha straight, he went pa9t St. Albans like a shot, andjoverhauling Parmesan before reaching the distance, ho left him in the next stride, and " Thormanby wins" became the universal cry, as galloping on with a clear lead, he stalled off Fairwater's rush opposite the aland and ran home the oasiest of winners by two lengths. Mr Merry's horse ran once again, this was in The Goodwood Cup, when his heavy weight told a tale, and he waa beaten out of place, the winner turning up in the American-brad Starke. After this tha Derby winner of 1860 left the racecourse for the paddock. Thormanby wa« a pale chestnut, but he got slightly darker after he went to tha stud. He could never be styled a handsome horse, with that exceedingly plain head and general want of substance. His near hind heel was white to above the fetlock, and ha hud a peculiar blaze on his head. His neck was straight and strong, and there was an unusual width between hiß ears. His shoulders were not vary grand, and an uphill course ouitod him best. For this reason Goodwood was not to hiß taste, but his level, Btrongly- built back and powerfully-arched loins sent him up the Aaoot incline like a steam engine. His quarters were drooping — a peculiarity inherited by most of hiß stock — his arms and thighs wore fairly muscular, and his common bones were short. He had not much bone, and he was slightly inclined to be leggy. In fact, ho was a type of one of those wiry, light-fleshed greyhound style of horses whose abilities often belie their looks. As a stallion he sought patronage in tha north, and although his first batch of yearlings came fine and grand, they turned out slow, heavy animals. But when, in 1869, he could boast of half a dozen such clippers as Sunshine, Hester, Camel, Normanby, Barford, and Atlantis, and stood at the head of winning stallions, an extra stimulus was given to the breeders to secure hiß services. Tbormanby was so entirely wanting in all tho"?9 characteristics of his reputed sire Nutbourne, that he has by universal consent been acknowledged to be the son of Windbound.