98 PREPARATION. 



your money, besides the unpleasantness of hearing in various 

 quarters the invidious remarks made as to your horse's condi- 

 tion, and the questionable purposes for which he was started. 



But that something beyond my bare assertion may evi- 

 dence that horses under, as it is called, a severe system, can 

 run many races in one year and for many consecutive years, 

 I shall proceed to lay before the reader a few indubitable 

 facts in support of it. In enumerating a few of the races 

 won by horses thus trained, it must be borne in mind that 

 racing twenty or thirty years ago was very different to what 

 it is now. Then, a ^loo plate was thought no mean prize, 

 pr20 at head quarters brought a field to the post ; and ^^50 

 or ^100 added was considered a munificent donation — one 

 to be keenly contested for. Now we have ^^500 given to 

 many of our races, and even ^1,000 ; prizes which help to 

 swell the aggregate winnings of owners (although to a 

 certain extent the money comes out of their own pockets 

 first, in the shape of three and five guinea entrances to the 

 fund). To win a race in those days, when heats were allowed 

 and stakes were only of a few hundred pounds value, would 

 be something like winning three or four races now, and as 

 many thousands in money. I mention this that a fair 

 estimate of their relative value may be made ; because it 

 was in those early days that many of my victories were 

 achieved. My first racehorse, Fugitive^ commenced by 

 winning all the three races that he started for at Plymouth 

 and Tavistock, and the total stakes won did not, I think, 

 amount to ;^200 together. 



Historian ran till he was ten years old, and Schism till 

 after she was aged, notwithstanding the early age at which 

 she made her appearance in public. Oxonian ran till twelve 

 years old, and is still running ; whilst Vex, and a host of others 



