LINES OF BLOOD 295 



on his way to the post was undoubtedly a more taking 

 horse than Kendal's great son. 



With such horses as Ormonde and Kendal, represented 

 in the next generation by Orme, Flying Fox, and Galtee 

 More, it may be fairly argued that Bend Or represents the 

 most important branch of the Stockwell line of Birdcatcher, 

 and, as already mentioned, there are Martagon, Orvieto, and 

 Bonavista sprung from the same source ; and Goldfinch, by 

 Ormonde, gave us an Oaks winner in Chelandry. Numerous 

 other Bend Or horses there are also, but one cannot here men- 

 tion them all, and only a few who are well before the public 

 are referred to. Stockwell has also such direct descendants 

 as Sainfoin and others who are descended through Spring- 

 field and St. Albans ; and there is another strain which, 

 coming through The Duke and Bertram, gave us that great 

 horse Robert the Devil, the rival of Bend Or on the race- 

 course, but inferior to Doncaster's son from a paddock point 

 of view, though he has sired such good ones as Chittabob 

 and Bel Demonio, both of whom have scored some measure 

 of stud success. The blood has likewise descended through 

 Uncas to Prism, Piraeus, and others, and again through Mun- 

 caster and his son Saraband to such as Suspender, Worcester, 

 Gangway, and Milford. Indeed, the line of Stockwell seems 

 to be of extraordinary vitality, and many of its representa- 

 tives, when they go to the stud, are capable of siring better 

 horses than they were themselves. This is none the less 

 true than remarkable when it is remembered that with nine 

 good horses out of ten it is not the case. That the Stock- 

 wells do not stay as well as the Oxford branch of the 

 family — represented by Isonomy and his sons — the Racing 

 Calendar plainly shows, but the majority of them can get 

 a mile and a half Doncaster, Robert the Devil, and 

 St. Gatien each won the Ascot Cup. 



Another famous line of Stockwell, through Lord Ronald 

 and Master Kildare, gave us the Derby winner Melton, a 

 very beautiful horse, who was for a time domiciled in Italy, 

 in consequence of which the line was not for a time so well 

 known in this country as it might be, but it has a fine repre- 

 sentative in Best Man, whose stock are almost sure to be 



