MORE RACING 205 



a fascinating theme, and the why and wherefore 

 must present itself to the ordinary man many times 

 a day. 



Napoleon put great store on luck. He says : 

 "Good fortune, what a factor it is — what may it 

 not lead a man on to do?" He preferred a lucky 

 general to a good one. Putting " luck " on one 

 side, I am inclined to think that close in-breeding 

 is conducive to more failures than successes. The 

 conformation of both sire and dam should be taken 

 into consideration — i.e. deficient points in the mare 

 might be compensated for by a prominence in these 

 points in the horse, without regard to the so-called 

 "nicking" of blood. I remember Mr Allison, 

 Special Commissioner of The Sportsman, starting 

 a very interesting discussion as to what horse 

 (classic) should be acclaimed as the best-looking. 

 I forget now what animal was selected, but I 

 suggest that there were never better-looking horses 

 bred than St Simon, Bend Or, Ladas and Bayardo 

 for expression, power, symmetry and balance. 



Old age deprives us of many pleasures, alters us 

 in many ways, but the sporting instinct lives as 

 long as life lasts ; nor surely does the love of horses 

 ever die. 



The poets of Australia seem to have realised 

 this even better than those of our own land. 

 A. B. Paterson, most popular of Australian poets 



