The Report of the Royal Commission on Horse-Breeding. 297 
pure strain on the sire's side, or insists upon such galloping 
cocktails as have won a race worth 200i. 
The evidence as to the value of a stallion's performances 
upon the turf is most interesting, and not, upon the whole, what 
might have been expected. Mr. Porter thinks performance 
upon the turf no recommendation for a stallion to get half-bred 
stock, and is backed in this opinion by Dr. George Fleming and 
Mr. George Williams, both experts with practical knowledge. 
But Lord Harrington and Mr. Matthew Dawson take the view 
that performance is most valuable. This is the kind of point upon 
which every practical man makes up his own mind. For my 
own part, even for breeding half-bred stock, I should prefer 
a performer, and I would commend Mr. Welby's advice upon 
this question. 
In reply to the question put by Mr. Gilbey : " Supposing 
a blood sire has good legs, straight and true action, and sound 
for getting good, general-purpose horses, should he have won 
races ? " Mr. Welby says, " I think that is the only test that is 
left to the horses on the turf. What other test than the winning 
post can there be ? It shows courage, speed, and what ought to 
be endurance. It is the only test of prime excellence. I 
should think the best test is running oftenest and winning, and 
if he has as many bumps as you like, if he had done that, that 
shows that he has courage and speed. You can have no truer 
test of excellence than the race-course and the winning-post. 
If you do not get it there, I do not know where you will get 
it." 25 
A great deal of evidence was given upon a suggestion first 
made, I think, by Lord Coventry. This suggestion was that 
a clean bill of health for life should be given to a thoroughbred 
horse coming out of training at five or six years old, with a 
certificate of soundness. This, of course, would mean that such 
a horse, competing for the Queen's premiums, would not have to 
be examined. The evidence upon this point is very conflicting, 
but I think a distinct case is made out in favour of Lord 
Coventry's suggestion. 
IV. Mares. 
The subsidising of mares cannot be contemplated with the 
money at present at the disposal of the Commission. I do not 
think any other view than this can be taken after carefully 
reading through the evidence. It seems to me that if any prin- 
ciple of genuine self-recovery still resides in horse-breeding, as I 
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