426 RACE RIDING. 



of his most dangerous opponent, who might, if he was on his 

 near side, close in, either intentionally or by his horse 

 swerving, and would thus prevent him from using the whip 

 with the right hand. If the horse has a tendency to swerve 

 under punishment, to the outside of the course, it may be 

 just as well to have something on the near side, so as to keep 

 him straight. 



Before sitting down to finish, it is generally advisable, 

 especially if the race has been run at a strong pace, to take 

 a pull at one's horse for a few strides, so as to enable him 

 to catch his wind, and to collect himself before he makes 

 his effort. 



Care should be taken not to suddenly begin to finish on 

 a long-striding horse, who should, on the contrary, be 

 prepared for his effort, so that he may not be thrown out 

 of his stride. A quick, short-striding animal will dash into 

 full speed in an instant. 



It is a dangerous and often a fatal mistake for a jockey 

 to ease his horse, or to cease riding him, when leading and 

 close to the winning-post ; for by so doing, he may make 

 him "stop," and may then be unable to get him into his 

 stride again, in time to " stall off a rush " from one of the 

 others. Even the great George Fordham was once caught 

 napping in this way, when riding for his then constant 

 employer, Mr. Ten Broeck. Neither of the two ever forgot 

 how Sam Rogers swooped down on Fordham, who was 

 riding Amy. She had, to all intents and purposes, won her 

 race, when the Demon took a pull, thinking that the other 

 one was beaten, and then he could not set her going again 

 in time. It is probable that the Derby of 1880, when Archer, 

 on Bend Or, caught Rossiter on Robert the Devil, was 

 another case in point. 



At a finish, if one finds that the leader has the race 

 easy, one might get directly behind him, on the chance of his 



