GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 15 



are not unknown to me, but I adhere to my opinion for the 

 following reasons : 



When I require in a young mare intended for stud i^urposes 

 individual performances, I do not mean to say that I would not 

 buy one that had not, on a given number of occasions, been 

 first past the post. 



Although I value racing form, as such, very highly, yet do 

 I consider it of still greater importance that a mare should 

 have proved, by repeated running, even if not attended by 

 eminent success, that no unsoundness of limbs, no organic dis- 

 ease or defect of temper, prevented her bearing the strain of 

 training and racing. 



I know perfectly well that in numerous instances thoroughly 

 sound animals with a good temper and all the necessary qual- 

 ities for racing, through no fault of theirs, but in consequence 

 of a mere accident, have been kept from appearing in public 

 (absolute certainty in that respect can, however, only be ac- 

 quired by personal superintendence of their training) ; but 

 I know equally well that in nine cases in every ten unsound- 

 ness, weakness, or temjoer has been the cause. It is advisable 

 to rely on the Racing Calendar alone, and not believe a word 

 of the fictitious marvels told of the innumerable mares without 

 public form, and which tales are spread about by the owners of 

 those animals. If only one-tenth of them were true there 

 would have been every year at the least a dozen winners of 

 the One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks, or the Prix de Diane^ 

 if one accident or another had not happened. 



The affirmation on the part of owners that the mare for 

 sale had never been trained, was not even broken, likewise fre- 

 quently differs from the truth, and is solel}^ intended to make 

 the purchaser believe that she would in all probability have 

 done wonders if she had been put into training. But, in 

 reality, this ought to be considered as a drawback, as, those 

 of a few eccentric breeders excepted, nearly every thoroughbred 

 in England, if sound, well developed, and sufficiently well bred, 

 is sent to be trained ; only when too small, unsound, or cripples 

 are they thought not worth the trouble and expense, and con- 



