These factors of speed and stamina probably explain, too, why Blue Peter was over long in shaking off the attentions of Glen Loan in the Eclipse Stakes event to a point of looking in danger of defeat.
Sandown Park is notoriously sharp, irrespective of being a right-hand irak over which many animals fail io act (as, fo Scottish instance, Union).
Blue Peter seemingly could quicken to any appreciable extent when asked for an extra effort halfway up the straight, but he pulled out sufficient, and was probably travelling stronger on passing the judge than at any other period of the race, I Shall, however, require to see the chestnut accomplish something more before joining the throng who account him a horse of à century.
The more's the pity Lord Rosebery's colt could not measure strides with the redoubtable Pharis LI, in the St.
Leger.
Both camps were equally confident, and if Blue Peter, had lowered Matters in general point to the deterioration of the British thoroughbred if it be agreed that robustness and stamina are more essential than speed.
Strange though it be, while the Derby, St. Leger, Ascot Gold Cup, and the like are generally looked upon as the most important events on the Turf, the major incentive is to breed for speed by reason of the numerous valuable events confined to two-year-olds.
Surely such a system must be wrong, if only because animals of immature age cannot be expected to develop when raced off their legs, so to speak.
Racing, in fact, is becoming too greatly commercialized. Too many owners, too many trainers, too many horses—all at the expense of the progress.of the thoroughbred.
Except for the few, the backbone of racing owners scarcely know the meaning of the word patience, and two-year-olds bred for speed are raced out for engagements until nature calls a halt, more often than not with irreparable damage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.