SOME FACTS ABOUT BOBADIL'S ANCESTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 40

SOME FACTS ABOUT BOBADIL'S ANCESTORS.

It is very singular how the greatest results may spring from tho most neglected pources, and in referring to the lives of famous horses this does not say much for the judgment of those who have to do with them. Voltigeur was bo disliked as a yearling that, to tho intense disgust of his breeder, Mr Stephenson, no one would give a hundred for him at Doncaster, and "The Druid" says he might have been cut for the hunting field if Mr John Brown had not found an advocate in Mr Billy Williamson, Lord Zetland's brother-in-law.

Then even the Lord of Aske would only take him conditionally, and it was not until ho had cleared out all Lord Zetland's lot in two trials that a bargain was 'struck at 1500sovs, and a contingency of 500 on each of the great events. Previous to that Mr Stephenpon, being tired of his brood mares, offered the choice of Martha Lynn (then heavy in foal carrying Voltigeur) and two other mares for 25sovs. On the racecourse Voltigeur did nearly everything lie was asked, winning the Derby, St. Leger, and Doncaster Cup as a three-year-old ; and being the only conqueror of The Flying Dutchman. He was certainly the mo3t sensational horse of the day

He commenced slud life "at Mr Smallwood's, Middlcthorpc, near York, at 15bovb a mare, limited to 35, besides his owner'p. This was subsequently increased lo 40gs and 50gs. but although he had cot Vedetlo., Skir-

misher, The Banger, • John Davis, and a lofe of other good sons, the following advertisement was. in the Calendar and Bell's Life in 1865 — that Voltigeur would v serve 25 mares, besides those of his owner, at 20sovs each, and that if his subscription was not full by March 25 the number would ]be made up by half-breds at 7gs each. As there were Voltigeur hunters in Yorkshire, this liberal offer on the part of Lord Zetland was doubtless accepted, and when I ("Augur," of the Sporting Life) saw the gallant old brown at Aske in 1872, or shortly before he had his - leg broken through a kick from a mare that belonged to Mr Young, of Richmond, he was still in service at the moderate fee of 20gs. Oddly enough, too, Voltigeur's best son, . Vedette, was never thoroughly^ appreciated, • - although he won the Two Thousand, - and could have won the Derby of his- year easily- , enough. He had been despised as .a yearling, and Mr Billy Williamson- was the medium, of his purchase, too, at a price that varied in telling from lOOsovs to 250sovs. I was told in Yorkshire some 25 years ago that the former was the price, but "The Druid" said it was the latter. At any rate, Vedette was at three and four the best stayer of his day, and he won the Doncaster Cup two years in sue- " cession. ■ .

Sold for no great sum of money, -he got into the possession of the late Mr -Simpson, of Diss, and the animals at, that establishment 'were so numerous, and mixed that there waß no knowing how everything was bred. Hence the discussions that have arisen as -to jthe parentage of 'Galopin', rumour giving out that he was either \>y Delight, a son of Ellington, , or Vedette. I have always scouted the suspicion, as there was everything about Galopin to favour Vedette, even to his faults, . rather coarse- hocks. I mef Xedette in more than one of my journeys to see stud farms — once at the late Mr Gee's at Dewhurst, then at Mr Tattersall's, down Shepherd's Bush way, and afterwards at Mr William Burton's, in tho Hendon direction. He was not overdone with patronage in either quarter, I recollect, despite that this was some years after the debut of Galopin. His fee never exceeded 25gs, so in point of publio esteem he was about on a pnr with his sire, and he died at the age of 24. The noble race eeemed to gain ground, however, through the two sons of Vedette, Speculum and Galopjn, the former by reason of Sefton (winner of the Derby) and Kosebery (dual winner of the Oesarewitch and Cambridge), and Galopin (who had been quite the best runner of his ,years) came with a bound when St. Simon proved himself to be possibly one of tho best horses of the century. At tho stud he has been equally famous as the sire of Persimmon, St. Frusquin, Memoir, La Fleche, and, by dint of stud successes, he has risen to a fee of 500gs.*' Per«simmon will carry on the noble line, I have no doubt, but it iR very interesting to trace all this greatness from the despised Martha Lynn, refused at 25sovp when carrying the very tap-root of Die family.