TRAINING AND BREEDING. 



417 



generation, and in the end by the rude, fundamental test of the survival of the 

 fittest. 



It would be quite possible to produce an example in every decade since Eclipse's 

 birth which would be good enough evidence against degeneration. What about 

 Hi gl ''fy vr(i774), Sir Peter (1784), ^17(1790), Whalebone (1807), Smolensko (1810), 

 Emilius (1820), Plenty (1831), Flying Dutchman (1846), West Australian (1850), 

 Blair At hoi (1861), Galopin (1872), St. Simon ( 1881), Ormonde (1883), Persimmon 

 (1893) ? When we come to sires and dams the question is, perhaps, more complicated. 

 It would probably, too, be as difficult to produce six sires from any period equal 

 to Eclipse, Highflyer, 

 PotSos, King Fergus, Sir 

 Peter, and Waxy, as it 

 would be to find six 

 brood mares better than 

 Julia, Promise, Pru- 

 nella, Penelope, Parasol, 

 and Maiidane ; a round 

 dozen through whom 

 all our best blood is 

 descended. Flying Fox 

 and La Fleche may fetch 

 more in the market ; 

 our crack yearlings may 

 cost four and five 

 thousand guineas 

 apiece ; the pecuniary rewards of one of our best racers may run to very 

 large sums in a single season ; but for all that I question whether the promise 

 of our future is as great as was that of the men who watched Eclipse or Gimcrack at 

 their exercise. Can we even say that the outlook now is what it was in 1847 ? A 

 young man racing in that year would have seen, by 1857, the following list of 

 successive winners : Van Tramp, Surplice, Flying Dutchman, Voltigeur, Newmivster, 

 Teddington, Stockivell. West Australian, Virago, Wild Dayrell, Fisherman, Blink 

 Bonny, and Vedette. Shall we be able to look back on something approaching this 

 in quality, whatever the quantity of our produce may be, between 1900 and 1910 ? 



It must be remembered, too, that the early nineteenth century was not merely 



" Gallopade" ridden by Holmes in 

 the Doncaster Cttp of 1832. 



