278 THE ENGLISH TURF 



and he decides never to own one of that " brute's " produce 



again ; while a third apprises that all the stock of 



are roarers, because he has had a roarer by that particular 

 sire. 



On the whole, the best auction bargains are to be picked 

 up when ready-made racehorses are submitted — either as 

 Selling Plate winners, or at such sales as those now held 

 annually at Newmarket in December. Of course selling 

 platers are, as a rule, fit to run in nothing but Selling Plates, 

 and it takes a first-rate judge all his time to make this 

 particular form of racing pay. It is in a great degree the 

 particular business of the professional owner who has served 

 an apprenticeship to racing and has made Selling Plates 

 his particular study. This kind of racing cannot be made 

 to pay except through the medium of the betting book, 

 and, because directly encouraging gambling, selling plating 

 is the least satisfactory form of racing and likely to benefit 

 few in the long-run beyond the various race funds, some 

 of which draw a large portion of their incomes from this 

 particular class of race. 



It sometimes happens that really good horses begin their 

 career in Selling Plates, and a shrewd judge can at times buy 

 or claim for a few hundreds a horse that is able to win good 

 handicaps later on. Hampton was bought out of a selling 

 race at Moulsey Hurst (hence his name), and afterwards 

 won the Goodwood Cup, the Northumberland Plate under 

 8 St. 12 lbs., and a host of other races, besides proving to 

 be one of the most successful stud horses of modern times. 

 Victor Wild was bought for 350 guineas at Alexandra 

 Park, and won two Kempton Park Great Jubilee Stakes and 

 a Royal Hunt Cup. Clwyd ran in several Selling Plates 

 before he became the property of the late Colonel North, 

 and he won the Prince Edward Handicap at Manchester 

 twice and the Jubilee Stakes in 1897. Newcourt was bought 

 by William I'Anson, of Malton, out of a Selling Plate, and 

 amongst other races he won the Northumberland Plate 

 twice and the Lewes Handicap. Another instance is that 

 of Chaleureux, who won the Caesarewitch in 1898, and quite 

 lately King's Messenger, bought for 1,000 guineas at Good- 



