32 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



at the Rooms the night before, and added in his 

 quiet way, " I think, *******, you had better get 

 that salary ready in advance." The result was that 

 the mare won, and proved by her subsequent matches 

 that the trainer's measure was the correct one. 



The present system of handicapping we believe to 

 be vicious in the extreme ; and our impression of a 

 true English handicap is, that no horse should carry 

 more than 9st. 91bs., or less than 5st. 51bs., thus giv- 

 ing GOlbs. to the handicapper, if he chooses, to work 

 on. In a steeple chase, lOst. and 12st. 71bs. should 

 be the limits. If animals cannot carry that weight, 

 they may fly at lower game. There have been in- 

 stances of feather weights, like Howlett, Bell, 

 Kitchener, Wells, Carroll, Fordham, &c., riding the 

 weights between 4st. and 5st. to perfection; but it 

 is generally impossible for all owners of horses, when 

 they lack the call of a phenomenon, to get any clever 

 and strong lad to ride their animals under 5st. 51bs. 

 in a large handicap. Either these "Aztecs" (or 

 " dolls," with an epithet, as the heavier stable-boys 

 generally term them) are utterly unable to get a 

 lazy animal out, and tire long before they reach the 

 distance ; or if they are put on free-goers, they are 

 equally unable to hold them, and let them go raking 

 away till they run themselves out. Hence, owners 

 are obliged to sacrifice several pounds to get their 

 horses ridden at all. In fact, as there are very few 

 young jocks who can ride these light weights, their 

 services are regularly bid for ; and if they are still 

 under articles, the owner who will lay their masters 

 the longest odds to secures them. Thus, the deci- 

 sion of superiority among the horses under 5st. 51bs. 

 turns pretty much on which owner has the longest 

 pocket not which has the best horse at the weight. 

 The heavy-weight jockeys also suffer severely from 

 the weights beginning so low ; and really and truly, 

 the calculations on which the most elaborate thought 



