ABOUT FAMOUS MARES 191 



guineas. However, I was out of it and did not 

 murmur. 



Sceptre continued to win great races, and she has 

 already established a great family, through her daughter, 

 Maid of the Mist, and others of her daughters have still 

 to be represented. 



No mistake can be made in buying such a mare, 

 provided she has sound constitution and ordinary health, 

 for insurance rates are nowadays much lower than they 

 used to be. 



There is a certain amount of interest in referring to 

 what one wrote of famous animals before they achieved 

 fame. 



I quote from what I wrote for St Stephen's Review, 

 published 2ist June 1890: 



" Reference to St Stephen's Review in 1889 will show 

 that I declared Her Majesty's yearlings to be the worst 

 lot I had ever seen having regard to their pretensions. 

 I said it before the sale and I said it afterwards, despite 

 the high average they made. The buyers will, in 

 almost every instance, admit now that I was right. 

 Where is there a winning two-year-old from that lot? 

 So far as I know, there is not one. But this year 

 matters are vastly different ; nor is it a mere question 

 of fashion. Nothing more astounding has ever been 

 done than for one stud to produce and sell on the 

 same afternoon the winners of Derby and Oaks, and 

 also the second in the Grand Prix ; and when we find 

 own sisters to Derby and Oaks winners, and half- 

 brother to the second in the Grand Prix, we may be 

 sure, without seeing them, that there will be tall 

 bidding ; but, apart wholly from that, Her Majesty's 



