BLOOD MARES. 217 



approaching Orlando, who especially requires stout 

 mares to counterbalance the two essentially speedy 

 strains on his side. The stock of Annandale is hand- 

 some, and though not speedy, it has the Lottery 

 stoutness through Old Rebecca. Luckily Touch- 

 stone's blood (from which, as it has been observed, 

 there is now no getting away) is remarkably pliant, 

 and crosses successfully with almost any other. It 

 has suited especially well with that of Catton, Pan- 

 taloon, Priam, Whisker, Dr. Syntax, Tramp, &c. ; 

 and West Australian has tended to make the cross 

 between it and Melbourne's highly fashionable. It 

 is however, as we have observed, a speedy blood ; 

 and though stout to boot, it requires a stouter 

 cross, such as Melbourne's, to bring it out in perfec- 

 tion. Hence it failed for staying purposes, when 

 it was crossed with Belshazzar's, although Moun- 

 tain Deer certainly elicited, by his fine length and 

 looks, more praise from Newmarket trainers when 

 "The Squire" led him out saddled for the Cri- 

 terion, and made such a memorable demonstration 

 on his return to scale, than any tvro-year-old within 

 our recollection. 



Without a very stout cross indeed, it would be 

 almost hopeless to expect the Selim blood to stay. 

 Lords Exeter and Jersey have held the two great 

 branches of it ; and while the Burleigh stud gene- 

 rally retained the gaudy face and legs of Crockford's 

 horse, the "Jersey bays" approached nearer the 

 whole colour of their dam Cobweb, one of the finest 

 and most perfect mares that ever looked through a 

 bridle. She always ran in flesh, and with the excep- 

 tion of a few half-speed gallops, she did no work for 

 nearly ten days before the Oaks, for which Lord 

 Jersey's coachman had 1,200 to 200 about her, 

 and stood it out. Her own feet were very fine and 

 sound ; but her grandsire, Soothsayer, had a club 

 foot, which compelled him to do a good deal of his 



