in half a mile. At that time little animals gifted with 

 the ranginess and the mechanism of stayers were the only 

 ones capable of defending their superiority over the 

 classic distances ; distances short compared with the tests 

 employed up to that time, but in view of the height of the 

 animals, quite long enough not to be called bursts of 

 pure speed. 



But under the influence of nourishment, of care, of 

 selection, and of climate, the heights increased : Whale- 

 bone, Tramp, Newminister, Touchstone were 15^^ hands 

 high; Irish-Birdcatcher, Sweetmeat, 15 hands and 3 

 inches; Melbourne, West Australian, 15 hands 3^ 

 inches; Surplice, Wild Dayrell 16 hands i inch. 



In our time the fifteen three horse is a little horse : 

 Bendor, Blue-Green, Carbine, Isinglass, Kendal, Ravens- 

 bury, St. Simon were 16 hands ^4 inch; Common Flor- 

 izel. Persimmon 16 hands i^ inches. 



With such compass openings, distances became too 

 short. By the very fact of increase in height, the Derby 

 and St. Leger are tending to lose their character as tests 

 of stamina and to become races of pure speed, conse- 

 quently, the stayer model is no longer indispensable for 

 the competitors. 



But it is not only height which reduces distances, there 

 is still quality. We do not attempt to deny that this 

 quality is improving, that forcibly it must improve as a 

 result of selection more and more severe, of progress in 

 the science of breeding and in the methods of training. 



It is certain that if we had the extraordinary idea of 

 running percherons, the mile and a half of the Derby 

 would be for them a " Prix Gladiateur " of perhaps mor- 

 tal severity, and that the competitors would have to 

 have for running this test the qualities, and consequently 

 the model of the stayer. 



On the other hand, it is not absurd to foresee that one 

 day, which is perhaps not very far off, a pure sprinter 



74 



