THE L. S. D. OF THE TURF. 75 



an average of 2,000 gs. The highest price ob- 

 tained for any one of the yearlings has already 

 been chronicled ; the lowest sum realised, it may 

 be stated, was 1 1 gs. 



The foregfoinsf statistics will serve to show 

 that the breeding of blood stock is profitable, and 

 that there is still a demand for good strains oi 

 blood, for which big sums of money are never 

 grudged, although it is exceedingly rare to find 

 the more expensive purchases showing to advan- 

 tao^e on the racecourses of the kinp;dom. 



o ... 



It is somewhat pitiful, or, it may be said, 

 painful, to find men — and among them members 

 of Parliament — crying, more or less loudly, 

 " down with sport." Such persons assuredly 

 know not what they say, seeing that " sport " 

 provides thousands of families every year with 

 food, raiment, and habitation ; the money usually 

 expended on the up-keep of race-horses and 

 hunters being largely distributed among those 

 who are generally termed the " working classes." 

 With regard to the cost of sport on the turf, it 

 must be kept in view that the interest accruing 

 on the prices paid for the animals amounts in 

 itself to a large sum annually. 



Take, by way of example, the sums expended 

 by one gentleman in the purchase of blood stock, 

 and let us call the amount ^10,000; that of itself 

 mieans ;^500 per annum, for which it is just 

 possible he may never see any return, and have 

 the keep of the horses, the entries, travelling 

 expenses for trainer and grooms, and jockeys' 

 fees to pay, a class of expenditure that may 

 certainly be averaged at not less than ^300 per 

 annum for each animal. 



