The great struggle between Hambletonian and Diamond, which took place at the Newmarket Craven Meeting of 1799, is well worthy of notice; it was regarded by sportsmen of the time as a race to determine which was the better sire, Eclipse or Herod. The match is recorded in _Baily's Register_ in the following bald way: "Sir H. T. Vane's b. h. Hambletonian, by King Fergus, 8st. 3 lb., beat Mr. Cookson's br. h. Diamond, 8st., B.C., 3,000 gs. h. ft." A more detailed account has, however, been preserved and is given in Whyte's "History of the Turf," from which the following narrative has been taken: Previous to the time fixed for the match, which was run between one and two o'clock on Monday, 25th March, 1799, a great crowd of persons had assembled--"one of the greatest crowds ever witnessed at Newmarket"--to see the race. Hambletonian, it is related, started with the lead and maintained it till the last half-mile of the course was entered upon, when Diamond, stealing up, challenged. The struggle for victory was a keen one; each jockey rode his very best, Hambletonian being ridden by the famous Buckle, while Dennis Fitzpatrick had charge of the other horse. As the animals neared the winning-post it looked all over as if the contest would end in a dead heat, but almost in the last stride Buckle nerved himself for a great and final effort, and won the race by little more than a head. According to the best authorities, the four miles were run in about eight minutes and a half. Large sums fell to be paid and received over this event, the betting having ruled high, Yorkshire to a man supporting Hambletonian, and the Newmarket people backing Diamond. When the horses started the state of the odds was about "even money," either you liked. Hambletonian was foaled in 1792, and won almost every race for which he was entered, including the St. Leger and the Gold Cup at Doncaster; indeed, he was only beaten upon one occasion when he unfortunately ran out of the course at York August Meeting, 1797, when running against Deserter and Spread Eagle. This famous animal, after a fairly successful time at the stud, died on March 28th, 1818, in the twenty-seventh year of his age, having begot Norval, Camillus, Joan of Arc, and many other high-mettled steeds that have figured in turf history.