ABD ALLAH. 171 



Ughly bred in consequence of his possession of such strains in union 

 with other elements that counteracted the tendencies in the Messen- 

 ger blood that were not of a real trotting character, and not only 

 caused it to display its trotting quality in the highest degree, but also 

 added thereto trotting instincts of an order really superior to those of 

 the Messenger blood. A part of these elements are fotind in Abdal- 

 lah, and had been derived by him from his dam, but richer still were 

 the qualities derived from Bellfoundex-. 



Why was Abdallah superior to Messenger himself ? This is asserted 

 and is true, but the reason is not given by the writer quoted. The rea- 

 son was that which has been given above — that in Abdallah's dam the 

 blood of Messeno-er was found in a state eliminated from the tendencies 

 and qualities that interfered with its more perfect trotting qualities, 

 and hence had more trotting force. We have no evidence whatever 

 that such was the case to any great degree with One Eye, the grandam 

 of Hambletonion, but the Kent mare had scarcely any other character 

 than that of a trotter. She was of Bellfounder bone, flesh, blood and 

 nerve. Why he impressed his own character on her so much more pos- 

 itively than he did on the produce of Lady Alport and other high or 

 low-bred mares, we do not know. We can never understand the exact 

 conditions that cause such differences in the character of offspring. It 

 must be admitted that the instances in which Bellfounder left such an 

 impress were not numerous, but such as have come to our notice were 

 striking to a remarkable degree; and further, it must not be overlooked 

 as a fact, that his excellences were best shown, when seen at all, in 

 connection with strong currents of Messenger blood. The son through 

 which the greatest excellences came out, was Trempses Bellfounder, 

 and his dam was a large grey mare, said to be of Messenger blood. 

 He produced Latourettes Bellfounder, the sire of Conqueror, and left 

 some other traces of his blood in other valuable animals. The dam 

 of Conqueror was by Mambrino,and the grandam a reputed daughter 

 of Messenger. Here, again, the idle and foolish claim will again be 

 set up that the merit was due altogether to the daughter of Mambrino. 

 It might be some answer to inquire why the mare by Mambrino 

 did not produce such a horse as Conqueror from some other union; 

 why Abdallah did not produce Sir Walter, his fastest son, from some 

 other than a daughter of Bellfounder; why he did not give us Ham- 

 iDletonian, the progenitor of a great family of trotters from other than 

 a daughter of Bellfounder, when he had so many rich in Messenger 

 blood to choose from; and further, why the sons of Hanibletonian are 



