186 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



On the other hand, it is the greatest mistake of all 

 to despise a mare because you have bought her cheaply. 

 Most people are affected by this feeling more or less, 

 and even I must admit an unreasonable prejudice against 

 Lomond because I bought his dam for 35 guineas, but 

 this is absurd, as I well know. In other countries the 

 prejudice against cheaply bought mares is carried much 

 further. For example, when, in 1919, I had to buy 

 four or five mares for The Panther up to 5000 guineas, 

 I secured four according to the best of my ability for 

 4900 guineas, and then, seeing a very nice young 

 Symington mare, dam by Baliol, grandam by Trenton, 

 hanging fire in the ring, I got her for 100 guineas, 

 and exactly made up the amount of the commission. 

 But the idea of a loo-guineas mare for The Panther 

 was anathema maranatha at Buenos Aires, and I 

 cheerfully kept her myself. She was in foal to the 

 anything but fashionable Bonfire, to whom she pro- 

 duced an excellent foal last year, which alone paid 

 for the purchase. This year she had a beautiful filly 

 by Sundridge, and of course went to big value. 



Mere money does not make money in buying blood 

 stock, as poor Kennedy Jones, Lord Wilton and many 

 others have found to their cost, but if money is spent 

 with well-balanced judgment by people who understand 

 their job whether launching out or buying cheap the 

 average result is sure to be good. The worst fault of 

 all is to be prejudiced against anything because it is 

 cheap, especially if you are present at the ring-side and 

 have previously inspected the animals. So many people 

 hesitate to trust their own judgment on such occasions, 

 and think because no one else is bidding there must be 

 something wrong. 



