16 ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MAN 



an Arab (he had previously beaten all the best Arabs in 

 Calcutta for the gold cup) as has appeared for many years. 

 His condition was undeniable ; the distance was all in 

 his favour, and he was ridden with superior judgment — 

 so that the result of his match with Recruit may be con- 

 sidered to have established this an axiom : that no allow- 

 ance of weight, within the bounds of moderation, can 

 bring the best Arab — even in a climate most congenial 

 to him — upon a par with an English thorough-bred horse 

 of moderate goodness. In addition to all these circum- 

 stances in favour of Pyramus, it must be remembered 

 that Recruit only landed on the 28th May, (the race was 

 run in January), after a voyage of five months." 



In England, where the progress of improvement was 

 greatly accelerated by a seasonable infusion of Arabian 

 and barbdiric blood, the bied-horse — standing, in respect 

 of the equine race, as the capital on the Corinthian pil- 

 lar — has reached a point of perfection that, if it can be 

 kept up, we can hardly dare hope will ever be excelled 

 In that country, four-mile races are nearly abolished, and 

 it has been said with every show of reason, that early 

 training, light weights and short distances, are impairing 

 the stoutness of tie English race-horse and hunter, and 

 their capacities to stand up and go the pace as in the 

 palmy days of the English turf. In our own country, 

 the annals of the course show, that our climate is highly 

 congenial to the constitution and physical development 

 of the horse — and that whenever the sport has been 

 fashionable and the rewards adequate, he has ever been 

 ready to meet all reasonable expectations — rather advan- 

 cing tnan falling oack. 



When Floretta won her race in Washington — winning 

 the 2d heat in 7.52, against such nags as Oscar, Top- 

 gallant and First Consul, it was deemed a mar.dlous 



