xii PREFACE 



sire, and his stock (winners of many important 

 races) are recorded in the early numbers of the 

 General Stud-Book. 



The Byerly Turk established the superiority of 

 the Arabian stallions. He was used upon the Arab 

 mares imported into England by King Charles, 

 which have ever since been known as the Royal 

 Mares, and the produce were found superior in 

 speed on the turf and endurance to all other horses. 

 The importation of the Royal Mares furnished 

 the starting-point for the grading up of modern 

 racehorses. 



The Darley Arabian, imported 1706, and the 

 Godolphin Arabian, imported twenty-four years 

 later, were exclusively used on the full-blooded 

 Arab mares which were directly descended from 

 the Royal Mares and the Byerly Turk who was 

 imported in 1689. 



Upton* proves beyond doubt, by his carefully 

 compiled pedigrees, that the racehorses on the turf 

 at the present time descend from these three sires 

 and the Royal Mares. 



The height of the Arabs originally imported into 

 England averaged 14 hands, and our thoroughbred 

 stock has been steadily graded up until the race- 

 horses of late years — such as Macaroni, Parmesan, 

 Caractacus, Ellington, Thormanby, etc., and those 

 on the turf to-day — average i5*2j hands. 



* Roger D. Upton in his book ' Newmarket and Arabia,' published 

 in 1873, by King and Co., London. 



