TRAINING AND RIDING. Il9 



and spare neither time nor trouble in their endeavours 

 to do justice to the horses in their charge. 



Good jockeys are few and far between. Many men 

 are able to ride a horse, but this does not constitute a 

 good jockey. Race-riding is an art that few men, and 

 hardly any boys, are proficient in. When I first went 

 to Australia Tom Hales was at the height of his fame 

 as a jockey, but of late years he has almost given up 

 riding and is rarely seen in the saddle. 



Tom Hales, in my humble opinion, is one of the 

 best men I ever saw ride a racehorse. He has mar- 

 vellous hands, a clear, cool head, is a wonderful judge 

 of pace, a great finisher, and has a good seat. Above 

 all, he is as honest as the day, and there has never 

 been a whisper of suspicion against him during his 

 long career in the saddle. 



I have known Hales a long time, and his modest 

 unassuming manner and thorough straightforwardness 

 have always favourably impressed me. 



Pleasant hours have I spent with him, both on 

 the turf and off, more especially in his beautiful home, 

 Acmeville, at Moonee Ponds, near Melbourne. 



Acraeville is a charming bijou residence, furnished 

 in excellent taste, and is luxurious without being 

 ostentatious. Mrs. Hales is a model wife, and is a 

 daughter of South Australia's most successful breeder 

 of horses. 



Tom Hales at home is a hospitable host, and 



