84 The English Horse. 



thus going up by a double strain to the Darley Arabian 

 through Mercury. Sir Tatton Sykes's dam was a 

 daughter of Margrave (himself a St. Leger winner), a 

 descendant of the Darley Arabian through the two col- 

 lateral lines of King Fergus and Mercury. Cyniba and 

 Marchioness, winners of the Oaks, were almost altogether 

 of Darley Arabian blood on the side of their dams. The 

 granddam of Blink Bonny was also similarly bred, and 

 West Australian's dam was a Touchstone mare, and 

 almost entirely of Darley Arabian blood. General Peel, 

 who ran second to Blair Athol for the Derby and St. 

 Leger, was the son of a mare descended through sire 

 and dam in direct male descent from the Darley 

 Arabian. 



In itself I cannot help considering the line from the 

 Godolphin Arab or Barb a very poor one, and, like that 

 from the Byerly Turk, it really owes what celebrity it 

 may have, and its continuance, to the infusions of blood it 

 has received from the descendants of the Darley Arabian. 

 It is worthy of remark, although not extraordinary, that 

 almost in proportion to the amount of Darley Arabian 

 blood has been the success of the individuals of this line. 

 This, I think, can hardly fail to strike those who may 

 have had the patience to go so far with us ; yet the 

 many strains of fine blood inherited by most of the great 

 winners of this line — although without doubt it was tJiat 

 blood, namely, the Darley Arabian's, which constituted 

 their goodness and insured their success — have not 

 enabled them to beget stock as good or successful as 

 themselves, and to hand down a continuous line of ^vin- 



