John Frederick Herring (Senior) was a stage-coachman turned animal painter. He drove the High Flyer stagecoach between London and York for four years before devoting himself to painting pictures. For many years he worked in the Doncaster area and painted 33 consecutive winners of the St Leger. He also painted pictures for George IV and Queen Victoria. Writing about Touchstone the artist J. F. Herring described him as “a beautiful brown (although called a bay). He is a very level horse, and has the advantage of particularly fine arms, thighs, legs and feet – in short, a more wiry animal cannot be imagined, and in every respect looks the racehorse.”

Touchstone was the winner of the 1834 St Leger. He was owned by the Marquis of Westminster and ridden to victory by George Calloway.