124 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 
This, I think, will hereafter appear. As “all is not gold that 
glitters,” so the best-looking yearlings are often the most 
worthless. No rule can be laid down by which to guide an 
intending purchaser with any degree of certainty as to 
selecting the best and refusing the worst. Experience is 
the only sure guide; yet a few hints may be thought neither 
presumptuous nor out of order. 
In the first place, then, I should recommend the would-be 
purchaser to attend all the yearling sales, or in any case those 
which usually commence in June and end (at Doncaster) in 
September. There are sales too at Newmarket so late as 
October which may be attended with profit. But for many 
reasons I should purchase if possible before then. 
There is no better opportunity to buy, in my opinion, than 
at the Doncaster September sales. There is always a plentiful 
supply of all breeds and sizes at all sorts of prices and, very 
often, cheap. Before buying anything I would always see the 
animal in action. If I could not see all his paces, I would 
at least see him walk; for if he does that pace well, he 
will generally gallop well. Many a good-looking, fair-sized 
yearling by a young, well-bred stallion unknown to fame at 
the stud, and out of an equally well-bred mare, may be had 
there for about 100 or I50 guineas; whilst fancy-bred ones 
fetch fifteen or twenty times these sums. I have seen year- 
lings sold for 1,000 and 1,500 guineas apiece, or double, 
which were not worth sixpence for the purpose for which they 
were bought. Indeed I think the highest priced yearling ever 
bought, Maximilian (he fetched over 4,000 guineas) is not 
good enough, to judge from his public running, to win a Selling 
Plate at the lowest allowable rate, if he ran for one! Even 
roarers have been bought for as much as 1,000 guineas 
1 See footnote p. 135. 
