6o THE RACING WORLD 



suggestion to train with him. The July sales were 

 approaching, and I determined to begin the 

 formation of my string at Newmarket, devoting 

 myself meantime to a study of the literature of the 

 horse, and particularly to what to look for in a 

 yearling. A sloping shoulder was, I gathered, a 

 leading requisite, depth through the heart, length 

 from hip to hock, hind-legs well under, an honest 

 eye, plenty of bone, good feet ; I fancied myself 

 fully equipped with knowledge which would serve 

 at the ring side, but at the same time I determined 

 to do nothing entirely by myself — to be guided by 

 my trainer's advice. One colt I remember well 

 fulfilled all the requisites I have enumerated, and 

 my only fear was that everybody would naturally 

 be eager to obtain such an animal. I led my trainer 

 to view the discovery I had made — all by myself — 

 but one very hasty glance was enough for him. 

 The good points which I had observed were there, 

 but the animal's hocks, he declared, were hopeless. 

 For the future I made hocks a special study, noting 

 the coarse, the curby, the sickle-shaped, and the 

 rest ; but another youngster, with excellent hocks 

 amongst other good points, had, I was told, a badly 

 twisted fore-leg, which I had certainly not noticed ; 

 another did not stand truly ; and, in short, I soon 

 found how sadly superficial was my knowledge. 



