384 RACE RIDING. 



lost ground. He should, then, gradually draw up to the front, 

 so as to be able to make his effort at the proper time, judging 

 from the way the horses he most fears are going, and by the 

 distance they are from him. 



If a jockey is left more or less behind at the start, by 

 getting off badly or by his horse being a slow starter, 

 he should ride with extreme patience ; for trying to make 

 up ground too quickly will mean certain defeat, in the 

 case of a strong opposition. The most memorable instance 

 of an admirably ridden waiting race of this kind was the 

 St. Leger of 1863, in which Lord Clifden, who was a very 

 slow starter; was left thirty yards at the post, and before 

 the leaders had gone a quarter of a mile, he was about 

 150 yards behind them. Osborne let this great horse settle 

 into his stride without moving on him, and began to come 

 up to his field at the Red House. He got into a good 

 place on entering the straight, and won, to the astonishment 

 and admiration of everyone who saw him. 



It is a very general idea that light weights should make the 

 running, or at least have it made for them ; and that heavy 

 weights should wait. I am convinced, however, that if a light 

 weight is possessed of a fair turn of speed, it is sound policy 

 for his jockey to wait with him always supposing that the 

 race is not a short one, and that it is not run at too slow a 

 pace because, when it comes to racing at the finish, the light 

 weight being comparatively untired, ought then to have the 

 best possible chance of getting home. Even a moderate 

 plater, if started fresh for the last few hundred yards of a long 

 race, would beat the best and fastest stayer in the kingdom. 

 Weight tires a horse quite as readily as pace will do. In fact, 

 a horse should be ridden more with regard to .the distance he 

 can compass, than to the weight he has to carry. 



It is usually thought that weight " tells " on a horse in a 

 race only after a certain distance has been run. I am inclined 



