



CHAPTER XVI 



BREEDING, A LOTTERY ? 



Lucky Purchase of Qeeen Mary Sir Daniel Cooper's Enforced Luck 

 Sanda's Worthless Foal Rosaline Cheapness no Merit But do 

 not despise Cheapness Money does not make Money Ring-side 

 Maxims Valuation of Blood Stock impossible Leave Nothing 

 to Chance Make all possible Inquiries Foreign Buyers at a 

 Disadvantage Sir Tatton and La Fleche Purchase of Sceptre 

 La Fleche as a Yearling Sierra 



THE above headline is very far from a truism, 

 though the element of luck has a great deal 

 to do with success in breeding and racing. Old- 

 time instances in proof of this can easily be recalled 

 e.g. the late Mr William I'Anson's purchase of Queen 

 Mary for 100 guineas ; but few people are aware how 

 the late Sir Daniel Cooper had greatness as a breeder 

 thrust on him. He had a thorough knowledge of blood 

 stock when he came to this country, and, in fact, had 

 those good three-year-old fillies, Mons Meg, Dorcas and 

 Melody, in training as three-year-olds, with Mathew 

 Dawson in 1891, and later with George Blackwell ; 

 but he was not after buying brood mares at that time. 

 His brother, the present Sir William Cooper, happened 

 to ask Sir Daniel to pick him up a likely mare or two 

 if he came across any such ; and in due course Sir 

 Daniel bought Footlight (by Cremorne out of Paraffin) 

 and Satire (by Blair Athol out of Jocosa) for quite 

 small prices so small, indeed, that his brother thought 

 they must be rubbish and refused to have anything 

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