TIMING. 173 



and the "going" so very much the same on all, that there 

 cannot be the same objection to timing in this country 

 as in England, where every course varies in severity, 

 while rain may fall at any time and make the track 

 heavy. Nevertheless, in races where several horses start, 

 and in which the running is certain to be cut out by 

 some of them, the timing of similar horses is singularly 

 close, on the same courses, considering how variable the 

 English climate is. For instance, take that of the great 

 three-year old races, from year to year. 



We find timing is a perfectly reliable test in pedes- 

 trianism, and can pronounce with certainty that a man, 

 who can do his 100 yards under 10 seconds, or his mile 

 under 4 m. 20 s. on level ground, is undoubtedly a first 

 class runner ; and so would be a horse which could, with 

 weight for age and class, do his mile in 1 m. 44 s., or two 

 miles in 3 m. 42 s., on the Calcutta Course for instance, 

 if he'll but try in public ; for herein lies the source of 

 nine-tenths of the disappointments timing leads to. 

 The "going" on most Indian race courses, except at 

 Bangalore, Secunderabad, Poonah, and Dehra Doon, is 

 very similar, being almost 'quite level, and pretty hard. 

 As it is impossible to get all horses to run the same in 

 public as in private, I would strongly advise the young 

 turfite, to limit the use of the stop watch to public 

 performances, and to regulating the pace of training 

 gallops. If one wishes to test the powers of a young 

 one, it should be done, not by " putting him against the 

 watch," but by trying him with some horse that has 

 recently run well in public, and is at the time of the 

 trial in racing condition. Then, if the young one beats 



