282 ON RACING. 



largely due to the almost universal forcing 

 of our young blood stock, which, necessitates 

 their retirement from the Turf at a corre- 

 spondingly early age, so that nowadays we 

 seem to lose sight of a good horse almost 

 as soon as we have got to know him. Few 

 now are able to stand the severe strain of 

 training beyond a season or two, and con- 

 sequently the contests for the cups and 

 other time-honoured trophies become less 

 and less interesting year by year. We never 

 see now, for instance, such a field as fought 

 for the Ascot Gold Gup some thirty years 

 ago, when the great Continental champions 

 Boiard and Flageolet finished first and 

 second, while behind them were Doncaster, 

 Gang Forward, Marie Stuart, and Kaiser — 

 that is to say, the first three in the Derby, 

 the Oaks winner, the three placed in the 

 Leger, and the first, second, and third in 

 the Grand Prix de Paris. What a galaxy 

 of equine talent to contest a trophy which 



