74 England's horses, 



faction the disappearance from the Calendar of one half of 

 the present meetings. I take it that the deterioration of 

 the turf in public estimation, of which there is no doubt, 

 is mainly owing to the fact that the majority of horses 

 are now in the possession of men who run for profit and 

 not for sport, who care nothing for the animal, who cannot 

 afford to wait for a return of their money, and in whose 

 hands a Avretched animal, especially if not quite so wretched 

 as he is thought " (handicap morality !), " is as valuable as 

 one of high class " (a premium on deterioration !), " if not 

 more so. Now, this vicious system is mainly fostered, first, 

 by premature running of tiuo-year-olds " (the italics are 

 not his Lordship's) ; secondly, by the multiplication of short 

 races, which enables horses to be brought out oftener, and 

 thus to afford more frequent opportunities of gambling ; 

 thirdly, by the great preponderance of handicaps." 



These are wise words of a great statesman and thorough 

 sportsman, who was a true votary of racing ; and who, in 

 this his last public essay upon the sport and institution he 

 loved, leaves these a fortiori views to his survivors for con- 

 templation, as sound in policy as they are true in inference, 

 and unanswerable in argument. 



Figures are dry but powerful illustrations. In 1873 the 

 number of horses entered for the five spring handicaps 

 above named were 400 ; in 1874 the aggregate amounts to 



75 less. The average number of racehorses in training, 

 between 1860 and 1870, was 2,400 ; but at present (1874) 

 the revised returns give a total of 1,665. If 200 for Scot- 

 land and Ireland bo added, which is, probably, an estimate 

 in excess of the actual number, it remains that there were 

 nearly 600 more horses in training six years past than there 

 are now. And this at a time when England's wealth was 

 never so great, nor her people more disposed to and capable 

 of indulging in their favourite enjoyment. 



