HOUSES' POWERS DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN. 81 



change as any tricks of the conjuror ; for, handi- 

 capping the lot that have come in as they did, put a 

 feather on all of them, "hie presto," the late winner, 

 who is perhaps a really good sort of nag, and likely 

 to run on a useful one, might be nowhere, and one of 

 the non-placed, a weedy wretch that never did or ever 

 would do any good to any one (but the trainer), might 

 come in winning, hard held. Here, supposing (but 

 not otherwise) the race was run exactly the same as 

 the first and in the same time, we should have pretty 

 clearly ascertained which horses could carry weight 

 and which could not. But if we permitted the race 

 to be differently run the second time to the first, we 

 should be astray as to how far the difference of pace 

 had produced the difference of running in the horses 

 as well as the difference of weight. To ascertain ex- 

 actly at what particular weight, at what distance, and 

 at what pace the horse becomes the most superior to 

 other horses, would admit of almost as many changes 

 as the old trick of placing a dozen persons at table ; 

 in fact, before we could come to the perfect knowledge 

 of this, we must give him as many trials as old Ca- 

 therina, Isaac, or Bee's-wing have run races. This of 

 course being impracticable, many a race is lost with a 

 good horse by our not knowing ~his forte. We know what 

 he does well, but we do not know what is his best. A 

 horse may be nowhere at (say) 8st. weight for a mile; 

 no great things, but better at two ; very good at three ; 

 and a regular trump at four. Now there can be no 

 doubt as to two of the superior qualities of this horse : 

 he can go a length, and carry highish weight ; and if 

 this has been done at first-rate four-mile pace, there 

 can be no mistake about him at this sort of race : he 

 is a thorough, stout, game, honest horse. I wish all 



VOL. II. G 



