▁stable ▁lad ▁who ▁was ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁hold ▁onto ▁the ▁fil ly ▁until ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁run ners ▁had ▁gone ▁at ▁least ▁fifty ▁yards . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁run ▁was ▁to ▁qual ify ▁Vi rag o ▁for ▁hand ic ap ▁races ▁with ▁an ▁un real ist ically ▁low ▁rating . ▁▁ 1 8 5 4 : ▁three - year - old ▁season ▁In ▁spring ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁Vi rag o ▁was ▁matched ▁against ▁the ▁five - year - old ▁Little ▁Harry ▁( w inner ▁of ▁the ▁As cot ▁St akes ) ▁in ▁a ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁quarter ▁mile ▁private ▁trial ▁race ▁and ▁won ▁easily , ▁receiving ▁only ▁ten ▁pounds ▁( the ▁modern ▁weight - for - age ▁scale ▁suggests ▁that ▁a ▁three - year - old ▁fil ly ▁should ▁have ▁been ▁receiving ▁approximately ▁thirty - n ine ▁pounds ▁from ▁a ▁five - year - old ▁horse ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁of ▁year ). ▁Vi rag o ▁began ▁her ▁public ▁three - year - old ▁season ▁at ▁the ▁E ps om ▁Spring ▁meeting ▁on ▁ 6 ▁April . ▁The ▁highlight s ▁of ▁the ▁meeting ▁were ▁two ▁valuable ▁all - aged ▁hand ic ap ▁races ▁run ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁afternoon : ▁the ▁Great ▁Metropolitan ▁Hand ic ap ▁over ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁quarter ▁miles , ▁and ▁the ▁one ▁and ▁a ▁quarter ▁mile ▁City ▁and ▁Sub urban ▁Hand ic ap . ▁Vi rag o , ▁weight ed ▁according ▁to ▁her ▁moder ate ▁two - year - old ▁form , ▁carried ▁ 8 8 ▁pounds