124 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 



This, I think, will hereafter appear. As " all is not gold that 

 glitters," so the best-looking yearlings are often the most 

 worthless. No rule can be laid down by which to guide an 

 intending purchaser with any degree of certainty as to 

 selecting the best and refusing the worst. Experience is 

 the only sure guide ; yet a few hints may be thought neither 

 presumptuous nor out of order. 



In the first place, then, I should recommend the would-be 

 purchaser to attend all the yearling sales, or in any case those 

 which usually commence in June and end (at Doncaster) in 

 September. There are sales too at Newmarket so late as 

 October which may be attended with profit. But for many 

 reasons I should purchase if possible before then. 



There is no better opportunity to buy, in my opinion, than 

 at the Doncaster September sales. There is always a plentiful 

 supply of all breeds and sizes at all sorts of prices and, very 

 often, cheap. Before buying anything I would always see the 

 animal in action. If I could not see all his paces, I would 

 at least see him walk ; for if he does that pace well, he 

 will generally gallop well. Many a good-looking, fair-sized 

 yearling by a young, well-bred stallion unknown to fame at 

 the stud, and out of an equally well-bred mare, may be had 

 there for about loo or 150 guineas; whilst fancy-bred ones 

 fetch fifteen or twenty times these sums. I have seen year- 

 lings sold for 1,000 and 1,500 guineas apiece, or double, 

 which were not worth sixpence for the purpose for which they 

 were bought. Indeed I think the highest priced yearling ever 

 bought, Maximilian (he fetched over 4,000 guineas) is not 

 good enough, to judge from his public running, to win a Selling 

 Plate at the lowest allowable rate, if he ran for one. Even 

 roarers have been bought for as much as 1,000 guineas 

 apiece. However, this is an error any one may fall into ; 



