BRITISH STABLES AND FOREIGN METH'ODS. 



577 







is the hard work put upon our moderate thoroughbreds, the way they are constantly 

 worried with railway travelling, and perpetually being pulled out to earn their 

 corn bill all over the country, until they are worn out and useless for anything 

 but a four-wheeler. This means a restriction in sires, and the narrowing of stud 

 possibilities to a few lines starting from such famous winners as those mentioned 

 above. One result is that out of the enormous number of English thoroughbreds 

 foaled every year only seven are good enough to go to the post to oppose a 

 Frenchman in the Derby, as in 1903. This is not because our Turf prizes are 

 not valuable enough. There were no "Ten Thousand Pounders" in BlacklocKs 

 day. Nor is it because 

 we do not have rac- 

 ing enough. In 1902 

 W. Waugh, the private 

 trainer of Sir J. Blundell 

 Maple at Falmouth 

 House, scored 67 vic- 

 tories with 30 winners 

 out of the 47 with which 

 he started in training, 

 and got fifth in the list 

 of winning trainers with 

 .17,912, though only 

 two of his races were 

 worth more than i ,000. 



It will be interesting to compare with this the records given (on p. 461) for Lord 

 George Bentinck's season in 1845, or 1844. 



I have spoken of the value of our Turf prizes nowadays. It is worth noting 

 that in Cotherstones year (1843) the total value of the stakes came to ,38,000 for 

 the season. It is now about half a million of money, and Ascot alone can furnish 

 more than the whole calendar of sixty years ago. The number of two-year-olds 

 running in 1843 was 213, and there were 1300 brood mares. We have now 6000 

 of the latter, and seven times as many two-year-olds as there were in 1843. The 

 fees for our best sires have increased in a similar proportion. When we breed 

 a winner in direct line from Eclipse, we sell him to the French, for the descent 

 of M. Blanc's famous stallion is as follows, direct from sire to son: Eclipse (1764). 



VOL. III. (.) 



" Kingcraft" by "King Tom " (1867). 



