LINES OF BLOOD 291 



best when they have been bred from mares descended 

 directly from Newminster (the Touchstone line of Eclipse), 

 and Common, Isinglass, Janissary, and Ravensbury are 

 all bred in this way. The breed is possessed of far 

 more than the average amount of stamina, and in proof 

 thereof I may mention that Isonomy won the Ascot Cup 

 in two consecutive years, and that Isinglass, who, like 

 Common, won the " triple crown," also won the Ascot Cup, 

 while Ravensbury, who came in the same year as Isinglass, 

 and therefore had to play second fiddle in the classic races, 

 won the three-mile Alexandra Plate, and the Manchester 

 November Handicap of a mile and three-quarters when 

 carrying the heavy burden of gst. 4 lbs. Common was 

 taken out of training a little too soon to enable him to 

 establish a reputation as a real stayer, but he was un- 

 doubtedly the best of his year, and the mile and three- 

 quarters over which the St. Leger is run was well within 

 his compass. Though Isonomy was not a big horse, nearly 

 all his best sons are high on the leg, and this applies to the 

 four I have been writing about, and also to his grandson 

 Jeddah, who, as far as make and shape are concerned, can 

 compare with any of his famous ancestors who have lived 

 within our times. 



This branch of the Sir Hercules strain of Eclipse was 

 transmitted through Oxford by Birdcatcher, but perhaps 

 the Stockwell line of Birdcatcher is better known, and it 

 has certainly done greater things in the past. For long 

 enough Blair Athol was its best runner, but the excellence 

 of Blair Athol pales before that of Ormonde, and so far 

 neither of these particular branches is the most powerful 

 from a stud point of view. Why Blair Athol did not give 

 us more great winners than he sired is a problem I shall not 

 attempt to solve, but he was just an average horse at the 

 stud and nothing more; and though his descendants are 

 heard of fairly often, the line is not holding its own. Blair 

 Athol sired one Derby winner in Silvio, two St. Leger 

 winners in Craig Millar and Silvio, one Two Thousand 

 winner in Prince Charlie, and two One Thousand winners 

 in Scottish Queen and Cecilia, but no Oaks winner. Prince 



