THE TURF 75 



boy for his age ' would be reckoned defor- 

 mities. There are some good specimens 

 of the pigmy breed now at Newmarket; 

 John Day, for instance, has produced a 

 facsimile of himself, cast in the exact mould 

 for the saddle, and who can ride about 

 four stone. These feather-weights are abso- 

 lutely necessary where two-year colts are 

 brought to the post, and they sometimes 

 ride a winning race ; though if it comes to a 

 struggle, as the term is, they are almost 

 certain to be defeated by the experienced 

 jockey. But, speaking seriously, it is a 

 great blessing to the rider of races to be 

 of a diminutive size, to prevent the hardship 

 and inconvenience of wasting a most 

 severe tax on the constitution and temper. 

 On this subject the following memorandum 

 of some questions addressed by Sir John 

 Sinclair to the late Mr. Sandiver, an eminent 

 surgeon, long resident at Newmarket, and 

 a pretty constant spectator of the races, with 

 Mr. S.'s answers, may amuse our readers : 

 ' How long does the training of jockeys 

 generally continue? With those in high 

 repute, from about three weeks before 

 Easter to the end of October ; but a week 



