RACING OFFICIALS. 67 



his flesh-and-blood customers to the fraction of an ounce. It 

 was, indeed, this absolute certainty as to the accuracy of the 

 weigh-out, which led to the detection of the attempted fraud 

 when Catch-em-alive won the Cambridgeshire. Needless to 

 say that the clerk of the scales must be a man of unblemished 

 integrity, and of strict business habits, for the slightest mistake, 

 wilful or unintentional on his part, would lead to the most 

 serious complications. He is responsible too in great measure 

 for the punctuality of the start, and by strict adherence to the 

 regulation which enjoins that the numbers of the runners shall 

 be exhibited on the telegraph board one quarter of an hour 

 before the time appointed for the race, ' Newmarket time ' has 

 now become the rule, instead of as formerly the exception, 

 throughout the country. On the clerk of the scales, too, de- 

 volves the duty of seeing that notice of colours unpublished on 

 the card, or of any alteration of colours, or of any declaration 

 of over- weight, be posted on the board as soon as practicable 

 after the hoisting of the numbers ; in the latter case the decla- 

 ration must be made twenty minutes before the start. The 

 clerk must be in his place the moment a race is over, as every 

 jockey is expected to weigh in immediately after the race, and 

 from official lips must issue the fiat ' all right,' which has so 

 often filled the cup of joy or of despair to overflowing. 



Though under the ' Rules ' the extra 2 Ibs. in the scale as a 

 precaution against the carrying of undeclared over-weight is 

 only necessary on weighing in, this test is as a matter of custom 

 equally applied on weighing out. 



The clerk of the scales should to the utmost of his ability 

 keep his weighing-room clear of intruders. By law, ' the owner, 

 trainer and jockey, or other person having the care of a horse 

 engaged in a race,' are alone entitled to admission. Stewards 

 are often culpably remiss in the exercise of their authority in 

 this direction ; for it can hardly be expected that the clerk, 

 busy as he is, can keep his eye on every one who comes 

 through the doorway, and the policeman on guard is of more 

 use as a ' chucker-out ' than as a Cerberus. 



F 2 



