THE TRAGEDY OF ASCOT 49 



her off fore joint when doing her last gallop on the 

 Saturday before the Doncaster Meeting. 



The injury was not severe, and doubtless after the 

 winter's rest she would have stood training again, but it 

 was decided by her owner that it was time she retired to 

 the stud, and on the last day of October she left New- 

 market for her early home in Ireland with a view to 

 being mated with Laveno in the spring. 



During her career on the Turf she won twenty-two 

 races, and was twice second. In stakes she won 



^37,295- 



In accurately assigning to her the exact niche in 

 Turf history that she is rightfully entitled to, one is 

 faced by the difficulty that it is inherently impossible 

 to compare horses of the present with a past generation 

 with any degree of absolute certainty. 



To assert publicly that she is the horse of all time may 

 seem temerity, whatever one's private opinion may be. 



But it may be maintained with every show of cer- 

 tainty that no mare, not even Sceptre, could have made 

 her gallop, and not many horses either. 



It may be said that with the exception of Zinfandel 

 and Hackler's Pride she never beat much. 



This may or may not be the case. 



People are apt nowadays to put all horses down 

 as moderate when there is a phenomenon like Pretty 

 Polly in the field. 



