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SONG STRESS,

WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1852.

ZNGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL.

BY CASTOR.

Songstress, bred by her owner, Mr. John Scott, the celebrated trainer, in 1849, was got by Irish Birdcatcher, out of Cyprian, by Partizan, her dam Frailty, by Filho-da-Puta, Agatha, by Orville. Birdcatcher, also the sire of Daniel O'Rourke, and noticed as such in our last number, will cover next season at Easby Abbey; his subscription at fifty guineas a mare is already announced as full.

Cyprian, bred by John Scott in 1833, was herself an Oaks winner; but her career on the turf was not a lengthy one, having been drafted into the stud 1837. She produced in 1838 Miss Harewood, and since then--The Artful Dodger, Parthian, Joe Lovell, Newsmonger, Tom Tulloch, The Stinger, Susan Lovell, Cyprus, Frolick some, Songstress, Meteora, and Cypriana; the only blanks being, in 1844 a dead foal to Voltaire, and a miss in 1850.

Songstress is a light yellow bay mare with white ticks over her, standing fifteen hands three and a-half inches high; she has rather a plain head, as well as a straightish neck, but with good shoulders, and is very deep in her brisket and girth: she has immense ribs and barrel, good back, a little short and drooping from the hip to the tail, which is set on low; she has powerful arms, and fair-sized bone, with not over large thighs, nor very good-looking hocks. Taken altogether, however, Songstress is a remarkably fine mare, as all were fain to admit who saw her on the Oaks day.

PERFORMANCES.

In 1851, at Catterick Bridge, Songstress, then two years old, ridden by Simpson, won the first year of the Third Easby Triennial Produce Stakes of 10 sovs. each, &c., colts 8st. 71b., fillies Sst. 3lb., straight run in, beating Lord Zetland's Lady Bird (2), Mr. Meiklam's Evadne (3), Lord Eglinton's The Sheltie (4), and Mr. Watson's Agnes Wickfield (bolted). 5 to 2 against Songstress, who won by a neck.

At Ascot Heath, ridden by Templeman, she ran second to the Duke of Richmond's Red Hind, for the first year of the Third Triennial Stakes of 10 sovs. each, &c., colts Est. 71b., and fillies 8st. 4lb., T.Y.C.-Mr. Payne's Moulton Lass (3), Lord Exeter's Ilex (4), Mr. Powell's The Free-Trader (5), Mr. Marson's colt by Theon out of Rebecca (6), and Mr. Thompson's Denique, also ran. 4 to 1 against Songstress, who was beaten a length.

In 1852, at Epsom, ridden by F. Butler, Songstress won the Oaks Stakes of 50 sovs. each, &c., 8st. 71b. each, a mile and a-half, beating Mr. Parker's Bird-on-the-Wing (2), Lord Zetland's Gossamer (3), Mr. Sargent's Kate (4), and the following not placed :-Mr. E. R.

Clarke's Lady-in-Waiting, Mr. Copeland's The Lady Amyott, Mr. Payne's Glenluce, Mr. Pedley's Trousseau, Duke of Richmond's Red Hind, Mr. E. R. Clarke's Plumstead, Mr. Merry's Sally, Lord Westminster's Plot, Mr. Worthington's Racheté, and Lord Chesterfield's filly by Hetman Platoff out of Infidelity. 2 to 1 against Songstress, who won by a length.

At Ascot Heath, ridden by F. Butler, she won the second year of the Third Triennial Stakes of 10 sovs. each, &c.; colts 8st. 71b., fillies 8st. 4lb., New Mile, beating Duke of Richmond's Harbinger (2), Sir R. Pigott's Filius (3), and Duke of Richmond's Red Hind. Even on Songstress, who won by a length.

SUMMARY OF SONGSTRESS' PERFORMANCES.

In 1851 she started twice and won once :

The Easby Produce Stakes, at Catterick Bridge, value

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Songstress is thus engaged for the remainder of the season-first, with a penalty of 4lb., in the Great Yorkshire, at York, and Bay Rosalind, Claverhouse, Stockwell, Red Hind, King of Trumps, Alfred the Great, Augur, and others opposed to her. In the St. Leger, at Doncaster, against Claverhouse, Stockwell, Trousseau, Harbinger, Daniel O'Rourke, King of Trumps, &c.; and in the Doncaster Stakes with a good many of the same horses. She paid in this year's Easby Triennial at Catterick, in the Cestrian Stakes at Chester, in a Produce at Newcastle, and in the Lancashire Oaks at Liverpool.

John Scott's own immediate success as an owner of race-horses has, in the great events, been chiefly confined to the fortunes of Cyprian and her daughter. He has, however, also won the Oaks with Industry and her daughter again-Lady Evelyn; as well as with Iris, The Princess, and Ghuznec.

Of late years Frank Butler's monopoly of this race has been yet more remarkable. He won it last year on Iris, in 1850 on Rhedycina, in 1849 on Lady Evelyn, in 1844 on Princess, and in 1843 on Poison; the four years in succession being altogether unprecedented.

The "extraordinary coincidences" connected with this season's Derby and Oaks, and we always have a few, may be thus summed up-the sire of the winner of the Derby is also the sire of the winner of the Oaks, the trainer of the winner of the Derby also trained the winner of the Oaks, the jockey who rode the winner of the Derby also rode the winner of the Oaks, and the same black jacket and black cap which Mr. Clarke announced as winner of the Derby he also declared as the winner of the Oaks.

EXTRACTS FROM MY SPORTING JOURNAL IN THE

66

SOUTH.

BY THE AUTHOR OF SCENES AND SPORTS IN FOREIGN LANDS," &c.

No. III.

THE "BAG" KAFFIR; OR A MELTONIAN IN THE "BUSH."

"Upon the Chumie's banka

There dwelt a pilfering race, well trained and skilled
In all the mysteries of theft; the spoil

Their only substance-feuds and war their sport."
(Parody from SOMERVILE.)

There is certainly amongst naval and military men, a sort of free-masonry, such as exists not in other classes of society; and this mystic tie, is the more readily rivetted, should these followers of Neptune and Mars be likewise votaries of Nimrod and Diana. If a man happen ever to have belonged to the same ship or regiment, to which appertains the naval and military stranger seated opposite at a table d'hôte or mess table; if by the casual turn of the conversation it should appear that you have both visited in common, the same remote quarters of the globe --both followed in pursuit of a walrus or polar bear, amidst the arctic regions of the north, or tracked an elephant or tiger through the stifling jungles of the tropics-a "commonality" (to coin a word) of recollections, ideas, and acquaintances, instantly arises, which serves in most cases to establish a friendly intimacy on the spot.

66

Did you know Fitz-Mortimer of the ?" inquired I of Captain Johnson, my vis-à-vis at the Parkhurst Mess, who had just asked me to take wine, and who I learnt was an old campaigner in the Kaffir war of 1846, '47, and '48; "he was for a short time in India in the same corps with Jones and myself. Didn't like the country; had a good deal of tin, and paid highly for an exchange into a regiment at home, where, just as he had made himself comfortable-and, as I understand, bought three or four hunters, and commenced a sporting campaign in Leicestershire his new regiment was ordered out to the Cape, where, perhaps, you fell in with him during the last war?"

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"I remember him perfectly," said Captain Johnson. "I was at the time with the force stationed at Block Drift when Fitz-Mortimer joined the head-quarters of the then at Fort Beaufort. We had concluded a short truce with the Kaffirs, during which I had obtained leave to spend a few days with my old friends of the at the latter place, where I was first introduced to Fitz-Mortimer." "And what sort of fellow was he then ?" asked I.

"Why," replied Captain Johnson, he was considered rather a conceited chap at first-always talking of his Leicestershire hunting and

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