138 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 



your favour. It is found in the result that thousands of 

 pounds have been paid away in travelhng expenses and 

 stakes to httle or no purpose. 



Now if these, or indeed any other animals, had been tried, 

 as yearlings, and not engaged until tried, the worthless would 

 not have been entered, whilst the good could have engaged 

 with a fair chance of success against all comers ; and that 

 which in the one case would have been a losing, would have 

 been turned into a winning account at Old Burlington Street. 



It may be thought that the engagements of yearlings 

 might more appropriately be noticed under the head of 

 trials than under that of purchases ; but as there are im- 

 portant stakes, the entry for which must be made before 

 the young ones can possibly be fairly tried, the subject 

 (which however important does not claim a chapter to 

 itself) is better treated now. 



But in this matter of .trial before engagement, I should 

 point out how many opportunities are given for it in the 

 present day ; there being a greater number of stakes closing 

 after time for a fair trial has been allowed, than, before, there 

 were races of all kinds. It should therefore be borne in mind 

 that before a trial, breeding and good looks are everything ; 

 but after, these go for nothing — the only animal that is 

 valuable, then, being the one that has given undeniable proof 

 that he is so. The veriest brute to look at may, by trial, be 

 discovered to be a nonpareil ; whilst the best-looking may be 

 found to be the worst horse in creation. These are both 

 excellent reasons for early trial ; for you can then fearlessly 

 engage the horse that has acquitted himself well, to your 

 heart's content. The late Marquess of Anglesey used to say, 

 " The next best thing to finding a good horse is the discovery 

 of a bad one ; " which I thoroughly believe. And therefore 



