THE RACING CHRONOMETER 107 



Kar- 



have ^°^^ 



RUNNING BLINKER 



(used when racing) 



upon, nor can we implicitly believe what we see 

 through our race-glasses. 



Good jockeys assure us that occasionally a 

 race is falsely run. 



In order to make a brilliant finish, a horse is 

 kept back when otherwise he could have won 

 with ease; or else a horse 

 often appears to be hardly 

 ridden, when in reality he 

 could, if allowed, 

 won in a canter. 



Now the most aggra- 

 vating thinof connected 

 with time as a racing test 

 is condition. Many a 

 staunch supporter of the 

 watch has fallen over 



this stumbling-block. Therefore, it behoves the 

 discreet person, who is anxious to form an un- 

 biassed opinion of a horse's form, to ascertain if 

 the racehorse who galloped either quickly or 

 slowly was thoroughly fit. Then again, even 

 granted the time and condition were all that 

 could be desired, was the course suitable ? Be- 

 cause this is a most important point, as veteran 

 trainers know to their cost. 



If wrongly used, time tests to the racing man 

 can be compared with mirages seen by the thirsty 

 traveller. So, casting prejudice aside, ultimately 

 a reconciliation will take place between the 

 chronometer and the racing expert. They are 

 certainly necessary to one another, and the only 

 barrier to their affection is a question of time. 



