8 THE TURF 



different ideas on the subject ; there are no set rules. 

 The majority of them, however, would doubtless have 

 agreed cordially as to the absolutely and unimpeachably 

 scientific breeding of several horses who finished far 

 behind St. Gatien in the Derby and behind Robert 

 the Devil in the St. Leger ; and it is certain that 

 neither of these two animals would ever have been 

 picked out as an example of the science. One 

 naturally chooses a sire of approved merit, and looks 

 for size and quality in the mare ; but if she is good- 

 looking and comes of a distinguished family, it is not 

 essential that she should have won races. A great 

 many of the mares that have been most successful 

 when in training have failed to produce winners. 

 Possibly in some cases their vital energy has been 

 more or less exhausted during their career on the 

 Turf. The fact remains, whatever the cause may be ; 

 and, on the other hand, many mares that ran moder- 

 ately, or even badly, have become the dams of famous 

 horses. There are what may be called " chance " sires 

 also. An example is Wisdom, a wretchedly bad horse 

 when in training, who greatly distinguished himself at 

 the stud, one of his sons having won the Derby, 

 another the Ascot Cup, and a daughter the Oaks. 

 Reference has already been made to St. Gatien and 

 to Robert the Devil, whose sires were of no reputa- 

 tion ; though it must be remembered that unless a 

 horse has shown capacity to win races he rarely has a 

 good mare sent to him. 



