10 THE ENGLISH TURF 



was always wrong in his wind. In 1897 Knight of the 

 Thistle (a roarer) won the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot, and 

 not a year passes but good races fall to this class of 

 horse. The operation of tracheotomy is often attended by 

 good results, and it is quite a common thing to see up to 

 half a dozen horses in one afternoon's steeplechasing with 

 the tube in their throats. Many of them can win steeple- 

 chases and hurdle races, thus they are quite as good instru- 

 ments of gambling as are the sound horses. Nevertheless, 

 on the broadest grounds the roarer is not wanted, but he 

 will continue to exist, and even to increase numerically, 

 as long as roaring sires or dams are sent to the stud. 



Unsoundness of limb has far more weight with most 

 breeders than roaring has, and as a consequence a yearling 

 who is unsound of limb is seldom seen at the sale ring, 

 or in any lot which is sent to the trainer during the 

 autumn. Yearlings with suspicious limbs, on the other 

 hand, are common enough, but limb troubles do not as a 

 rule develop until the horse which bears them has been 

 broken and put to work. Then it is either a case of break- 

 down or of putting by until the limbs have become stronger. 

 We need not, however, concern ourselves with this side 

 of the question, for a good judge will hesitate long enough 

 before he puts into training a youngster who is wrongly 

 formed, or who shows a marked weakness in some part 

 of his anatomy. A much more serious matter is the fact 

 that the present fashion of putting thoroughbreds into 

 training far too young breaks many of them down before 

 they have a chance of distinguishing themselves. Dozens of 

 likely-looking yearlings who bring big money when sold 

 are never seen on a racecourse, and we may take it that 

 a fair proportion of such have developed hereditary un- 

 soundness when put to work. So far as the colts are 

 concerned not much mischief is done, because only a very 

 exceptionally bred horse can command any stud patronage 

 if he has never run in public, and even then he must be 

 loudly trumpeted as the victim of an "accident" in his 

 yearling days. The fillies, however, are often put by for the 

 stud, and thus the supply of unsound matrons is increased. 



