134 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 



degree. A capital lunch and a " pitcher of ale " was always 

 partaken of before going round the paddocks ; and the very- 

 last time I traversed them in company with Sir Tatton, then 

 about eighty years of age, he stopped suddenly and turned 

 round saying, " I hope, Mr, Day, I don't walk too fast for you." 

 To ease his mind on the point I walked beside him, whilst 

 trudging through the remainder of the paddocks, agreeably 

 discussing the breed and merits of the several occupants. 



I cannot account in any other way for the superiority of 

 horses bred in private studs over those bred in large breed- 

 ing establishments, than by the advantage of air and exercise 

 the former have over the latter. The defunct Rawclifife and 

 others may be cited as instances of gigantic failures, while 

 the following private breeding establishments may be pointed 

 to as so many successes: those of the late Lord Jersey, 

 the Duke of Grafton, and Mr. Thornhill ; and later we have 

 that of Mr. Wreford, whose great success was equal to that 

 of the preceding, carrying everything before him in his day. 

 Again, if I mistake not, Mr. Bowes has bred no less than 

 four winners of the Derby, a thing unprecedented in the 

 annals of racing. And if reference be made in addition to 

 the late Sir J. Hawley's and Lord Falmouth's studs, it will 

 be sufficient to show the difference that exists between horses 

 bred for racing and those that are bred only to sell, and the 

 superiority of the former. 



We see the advantages the companies enjoy in the enor- 

 mous sums which they give (as occasionally, too, do private 

 individuals) for stallions and mares (as much as ^Ti 2,500 for a 

 horse, and 3,000 guineas apiece for mares). It cannot, there- 

 fore, be said they start on a bad foundation ; yet with all 

 these " appliances and means to boot," they are unsuccessful 

 in the attempt to breed the best horses. For this there must 



