THE KNIGHT OF ST. GEORGE, WINNER OF THE ST. LEGER, 1854. ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL. BY CASTOR. The Knight of St. George, bred by Mr. St. George (from whom he takes his title) in 1851, is by Irish Birdcatcher, dam by Hetman Platoff out of Waterwitch, by Sir Hercules; her dam Mary Anne, by Waxy Pope out of Witch, by Sorcerer-Precipitate, by Highflyer. Irish Birdcatcher, bred in 1833, is by Sir Hercules out of the famous Guiccioli, by Bob Booty. His repute as a stud horse is too well known to require much comment here. Of the three Irish horses, however, which have now won the St. Leger, he is the sire of two-The Baron, and The Knight of St. George. The other, Faugh-a-Ballagh, is by his sire Sir Hercules. Irish Birdcatcher himself is also the sire of Daniel O'Rourke, winner of the Derby; Songstress, winner of the Oaks; Chanticleer, and many other famous winners; for a full account of which, with a portrait of Birdcatcher, we would refer our subscribers to the number of this work for February, 1853. The Knight of St. George's dam, bred by Mr. St. George, in 1845, threw in with the St. Leger winner as her second foal, the first being a filly to Mickey Free in 1850. She ran once or twice at the Curragh, but with no success. The mare is now the property of Mr. Disney' who gave forty guineas for the Knight of St. George at a year old. We have not heard at what improvement on this the colt came into Mr. Morris's possession. A yearling-Artillery by Touchstone, out of this mare-has just been hired by Mr. Morris, for a term said to extend over the St. Leger of 1856. The Knight of St. George is a beautiful blood bay horse, standing fifteen hands and an inch high; he has a very neat thorough-bred head, as well as neck, which he bows or arches in walking; he has a clean, light shoulder, well-thrown back, fair ribs, good back and quarters, with great power; he has good arms, hocks, and thighs, is short and sound on the leg, and altogether a low, lengthy, and very handsome nag. He has a small star of white on the forehead, and a few white hairs in a full bang-tail. In temper, the Knight of St. George is said. to be the most even and delightful, although in public he has not always shewn this to the best advantage. Out of his four races, for instance, over the Curragh, at two years old, he "got badly off" in one, ran very unkindly throughout" in another, and "bolted" in a third; once being in the humour, he won his race. PERFORMANCES: 66 In 1853, the Knight of St. George, then two years old, made his first appearance at the Curragh September Meeting, when, carrying Sst. 4lb., he was not placed for the third class of the Railway Produce 1 Stakes, Anglesey post, won by Mr. White's Ariadne, 8st. 3lb.; Mr. Watts's Stonechatter, 8st. 3lb., second; Mr. Keegan's Louisa, 8st., third; and Mr. Keegan's Ringleader, 8st. 4lb., fourth. Three others also run. 6 to 4 on the Knight of St. George. At the same meeting, carrying 8st. 2lb., he ran second to Mr. Copperthwaite's The Early Bird, 8st. 10lb., for the first class of the Waterford Stakes for two years old, New Anglesey post; Mr. Watts's Stonechatter, 8st., third. Three others also started, but were not placed. Won by a neck. At the Curragh October Meeting, ridden by Murphy, and carrying 8st. 4lb., he won a Renewal of the National Produce Stakes, 10 sovs. each, 25 added, Anglesey post, beating Mr. Disney's Gamekeeper, 8st. 4lb. (2), Mr. G. B. Prices's Tom, 8st. 11lb. (3), Mr. H. Hill's Dr. O'Toole, 8st. 4lb. (4), Mr. Quin's Attractive, 8st. 4lb., Lord Caledon's c. by Simoom out of Verbena, 8st. 7lb., Sir T. Burke's c. by Birdcatcher out of Whim, Sst. 7lb., and Mr. Courtenay's f. by Birdcatcher, out of Moleskin, Sst. 3lb. 4 to 1 against the Knight of St. George, who won by a length and a half. : At the same meeting, carrying 8st. 3lb., he was not placed, having bolted, in the Paget Stakes-Anglesey post: won by Mr. O'Meagher's Rinaldo, 8st. 3lb. Two others also ran. The Knight of St. George, up to this time, had either run in the name of Mr. St. George, or of Mr. Disney. In 1854, we find him on this side of the water, in Mr. Morris's name and colours, ridden by Basham, and not placed for the Derby at Epsom-a mile and a half: won by Mr. Gully's Andover; Baron Rothschild's King Tom second, Mr. Gully's The Hermit third, and Mr. Copperthwaite's The Early Bird fourth. Twenty-two others also ran. 40 to 1 against the Knight of St. George. At Newcastle, ridden by Barker, and carrying 6st., he won the Members' Plate (handicap) of 5 sovs. each, with £100 added—a mile and a quarter-beating Mr. Harrison's Revolver, 5 yrs., 7st. (2), Sir C. Monk's Vindex, 4 yrs., 7st. 9lb. (3), Mr. Murland's Ammonia, 5 yrs., 6st. 10lb. (4), and the following not placed:-Mr. Cornish's Captain Cornish, 4 yrs., 7st. 8lb.; Mr. Henderson's Lough Bawn, 6 yrs., 7st. 6lb.; Mr. Robinson's Donskoy, 4 yrs., 7st.; Mr. Mansfield's The Skimmer, 4 yrs., 6st. 12lb.; Mr. Barton's The Surveyor, 5 yrs., 6st. 91b.; Mr. A. Johnstone's The General, 4 yrs., 6st. 91b.; Mr. Thompson's Bourgeois, 4 yrs., 6st. 3lb.; Mr. Mather's St. Clair, 3 yrs., 5st. 10lb.; Mr. Osborne's Gamelad, 3 yrs., 5st. 3lb., and Lord Eglinton's Bianca, 3 yrs., 5st. 3 to 1 against the Knight of St. George, who won by two lengths. At Worcester, ridden by Barker, and carrying 6st. 1lb. (including 5lb. extra), he won the Worcestershire Stakes of 10 sovs. each, &c., with £100 added-a mile and a half-beating Mr. Rowden's Little Davie, 5 yrs., 6st. 21b. (carried 6st. 5lb.) second; Mr. Shepperd's Arribas, 3 yrs., 6st. 5lb., third; Mr. Steven's Sleeping Partner, 6 yrs., 6st. 10lb., fourth; and the following not placed:-Lord John Scott's Catherine Hayes, 4 yrs., 7st. 4lb.; Mr. James Davies's Titterstone (h. b.), 6 yrs. 7st. 21b.; Mr. G. Munro's Kiteflyer, 5 yrs., 7st.; Mr. G. Barton's Little Fawn, 6 yrs., 7st.; Mr. Shelmerdine's Morning Star, 5 yrs., 6st. 81b.; Mr. Saxon's Calot, 5 yrs., 6st. 61b.; Mr. Shepherdson's Liberty, aged, 5st. 121b.; Mr. T. Olliver's Battery, 4 yrs., 5st. 10lb.; Mr. H. Lewis's Cardiff Lass, 4 yrs., 5st. 10lb.; Mr. Isaac Day's Waterfall, 6 yrs., 5st. 10lb. (carried 6st.); Mr. Palmer's b. f. by California, out of Kitty Cockle, 3 yrs., 4st. 10lb. ; Mr. Copeland's Daphne, 3 yrs., 4st. 7lb. 3 to 1 against Knight of St. George won by a length. At Liverpool July Meeting, ridden by Wells, and carrying 6st. 10lb., he ran second to Baron Rothschild's Orestes, 4 yrs., 8st. 2lb., for the Croxteth Stakes of 10 sovs. each, &c.—a mile and a quarter. Two others also ran. 6 to 4 each against the Knight of St. George and Orestes won by a neck. At the same meeting, ridden by Wells, and carrying 7st. 4lb. (including 10lb. extra), he ran fourth and last for the Bentinck Testimonial Handicap of 10 sovs. each, &c.- -a mile and a half: won by Mr. Shepherd's Aribbas, 3 yrs., 6st. 4lb. 5 to 2 against the Knight of St. George. At Goodwood, ridden by Basham, and carrying 7st. 71b., he was not placed for the Stewards' Cup-T.Y.C., won by Lord Wilton's Pumicestone, 3 yrs., 6st. Thirty-five others also ran: the Knight of St. George finishing fourth in the race. At the same meeting, ridden by Basham, and carrying 7st. 3lb., he ran second to Mr. J. M. Stanley's Catspaw, 4 yrs., 7st. 4lb., for the Chesterfield Cup-a mile and a quarter. Twenty-one others also started, but were not placed. 100 to 12 against the Knight of St. George, who was beaten a head only. Nothing near the two placed. At Doncaster, ridden by Basham, he won the St. Leger Stakes of 25 sovs. each, colts 8st. 71b., fillies 8st. 21b., &c., beating Lord Zetland's Ivan (2), Mr. C. Peck's Arthur Wellesley (3), Mr. Howard's Scythian (4), and the following not placed:-Mr. Magenis's Hesse Cassel, Lord Derby's Boiardo, Lord Derby's Dervish, Lord Derby's Acrobat, Lord Glasgow's c. by Pantaloon out of Physalis, Mr. S. Hawke's Midsummer, Mr. Herbert's Autocrat, Mr. H. Hill's Dr. O'Toole, Mr. M. Maxwell's Palmeria, Mr. Knowles's Baalbec, Mr. Paynes's The Trapper, Baron Rothschild's Middlesex, Mr. J. Shepherd's Aribbas, Mr. J. M. Stanley's Calamus. 11 to 1 against the Knight of St. George, who won by a head. At Newmarket Second October Meeting, ridden by Basham, and carrying 7st. 71b.; he won a plate of 50 sovs.-A.F., beating Mr. Barber's Domino, 3 yrs., 7st. 7lb. (2), and Mr. Greville's Adine, 5 yrs., 8st. 121b. 7 to 2 on the Knight of St. George, who won by half a length. SUMMARY OF THE KNIGHT OF ST. GEORGE'S PERFORMANCES. In 1853, he started four times and won once : A Produce Stakes, at the Curragh, value clear.......... £505 ........ In 1854, he started nine times, and won four :- 215 482 ...3,700 250 £5,152 The Knight of St. George was trained for his great race by Longstaff, and ridden by Basham, both comparatively young hands, but both equally deserving of commendation for the justice they did to their horse. The career of Mr. Morris, too, as an owner of race-horses, does not date far back, nor had his success hitherto been very encouraging. Kingston so far has been his great card, and Kingston from the first has been more a good horse than a lucky one. The disappointments to the stable during the present year alone-so often a good second in "good things "-have been remarkable. Mr. Morris's horses, however, always run on their merits, and so when the turn of luck does come, there are few who better deserve it. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LATE SAM CHIFNEY. BY ZINGANEE. CHAPTER SECOND-HIS CHARACTERISTICS. "Watch Sam Chifney minutely, but first and foremost his seat in the saddle— Incorpsed and demi-natured With the brave beast ;' and his countenance, 'tis calm tho' thoughtful; but he has much to think of: he and his confederates have thousands on the race, and he is now running it in his mind's eye."-NIMROD. If our old friends the beetle-hunters had chanced to turn their steps towards the Bury Hill, on that pleasant July evening, instead of taking a clerical reconnoissance of the Devil's Dyke, they might have passed a merry cricketting group, in which Will and Sam Chifney were bearing a hand. Frank Buckle was then in the very prime of manhood; Robinson and Harry Edwards were only teething, and Sam Chifney still wanted some months of eleven. Will Chifney, who was two years senior to his brother, was thrice as active in all his ways and movements; and even at cricket, while the former might be seen indefatigable and hot-faced in batting, bowling, and fielding, the latter stretched himself lazily on the grass till his innings came round, and then made the pace so bad between wickets, that his scorer had generally a sinecure. The very different temperaments which even cricket practice elicited, had full scope under the rigid but ever affectionate tuition of their father; and while he carefully grounded Will in the rudiments of that training lore, of which Priam and Zinganee were destined to be such enduring monuments, he gave Sam lesson after lesson in race-riding, from the moment he dared trust him on a pony alone. To leave the whip and bit, which he had handled so long and so worthily, in the hands of another S. CHIFNEY of his own teaching, was the great wish of his heart. Hence, as if with a melancholy foreboding that his child would soon be called to take his own place on the Prince's horses, he used to slip off with him into |