133 THE PURCHASE OF YEARLINGS. 
your favour. It is found in the result that thousands of 
pounds have been paid away in travelling expenses and 
stakes to little or no purpose. 
Now if these, or indeed any other animals, had been tried, 
as yearlings, and not engaged until tried, the worthless would 
not have been entered, whilst the good could have engaged 
with a fair chance of success against all comers; and that 
which in the one case would have been a losing, would have 
been turned into a winning account at Old Burlington Street. 
It may be thought that the engagements of yearlings 
might more appropriately be noticed under the head of 
trials than under that of purchases; but as there are im- 
portant stakes, the entry for which must be made before 
the young ones can possibly be fairly tried, the subject 
(which however important does not claim a chapter to 
itself) is hetter treated now. 
But in this matter of trial before engagement, I should 
point out how many opportunities are given for it in the 
present day; there being a greater number of stakes closing 
after time for a fair trial has been allowed, than, before, there 
were races of all kinds. It should therefore be borne in mind 
that before a trial, breeding and good looks are everything ; 
but after, these go for nothing—the only animal that is 
valuable, then, being the one that has given undeniable proof 
that he isso. The veriest brute to look at may, by trial, be 
discovered to be a nonpareil ; whilst the best-looking may be 
found to be the worst horse in creation. These are both 
excellent reasons for early trial ; for you can then fearlessly 
engage the horse that has acquitted himself well, to your 
heart’s content. The late Marquess of Anglesey used to say, 
“The next best thing to finding a good horse is the discovery 
which I thoroughly believe. And therefore 
»” 
of a bad one; 
