i88 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



with her colt foal, was sold for 16,000 guineas, never 

 produced anything at all worthy of herself. 



I don't think the best judge in the world could have 

 faulted Flair when she made that price, though he 

 might naturally have said it was too much to give for 

 any brood mare. Her failure must always remain a 

 mystery, except that she was a shy breeder in the later 

 years of her life. Her sister Lesbia (dam of Torchlight, 

 Moonfleet, Passer, Damaris, Stratford and other 

 winners) is very good individually, but by no means the 

 equal of Flair. Such as she is, however, the late Sir 

 John Thursby gave 9000 guineas for her, and even at 

 that price she may be regarded as having been a bargain, 

 and she may still have two or three more profitable 

 seasons to come. 



The one sovereign rule in buying brood mares at 

 an auction sale is to leave nothing to chance. This 

 necessitates a lot of spade-work and judicious inquiries 

 of stud grooms. You may have to buy, say, half-a- 

 dozen at a certain average for a certain horse, and you 

 will probably find about thirty lots in a December sales 

 catalogue that are likely, on the face of it, to suit 

 you. 



Then comes the task of inspecting the whole lot and 

 inquiring about them in every detail. Practically all 

 stud grooms will tell you the truth though with natural 

 bias in favour of the seller. I never met with but one 

 who told me a deliberate untruth, and that was nearly 

 thirty years ago. The mare was a very good one 

 indeed, and had all the appearance of being certain in 

 foal so much so that I hardly troubled to inquire, but 

 this man vouchsafed the assurance that there was no 

 possible doubt on the subject. 



