182 ON AND OFF TBE TURF. 



at Flemington and Randwick. It is also used at 

 Caulfield and at nearly all the suburban meetings. 

 A great point in favour of it is that such starters 

 as Mr. George Watson and his son, Mr. Tom Watson, 

 think it is a vast improvement on the flag. Both 

 these gentlemen, the leading starters in the Colonies, 

 now use the machines to start horses. 



Most of these starting machines are made on the 

 same principle. Gray's is very simple in its method 

 of working. A couple of posts, one each side the 

 track, with tapes across the track, and then by merely 

 pressing a lever the tapes and their supports fly up 

 away from the horses is the easiest way of describing 

 it. The barrier flies up rapidly, and there is no 

 danger attending it either to jockeys or horses. 

 These tapes comprised in the barrier are taut, and 

 do not flutter much even when a strong head wind 

 is blowing. The horses line up to the barrier without 

 the least trouble and stand like a regiment of cavalry. 

 When the barrier flies up they are all at a dead level, 

 and I have seen a score or more horses gallop off in an 

 unbroken line. Some horses are quicker on their feet 

 than others, and these get going sooner. Many trainers 

 now practise their horses at the machines, and it is 

 wonderful how quickly the animals take to it. 

 Owners of private tracks have had machines erected 

 on them to accustom the young ones to the flying 

 up of th^ barrier. There is very little noise attending 



