152 TRIALS. 



neither was first class, both could and did win good races. 

 Indeed one of them was about as far from " the top of 

 the tree" as the other, and so they answer the purpose of 

 illustration as well as better horses. 



I should also expect to see a good three-year-old beat 

 the best four-year-old in May at sixteen or eighteen pounds, 

 a mile, and a mile and a half at twenty or twenty-one 

 pounds, and in the autumn at ten pounds. I think many 

 horses are never better for courses up to and under two 

 miles than as three-year-olds in October and November. 

 Dulcibella and Projuiscd Land were never so good after 

 that age, though they were both very sound animals, and 

 ran many times subsequently. 



Having discussed the trial of the yearling, and of older 

 horses, it may be well before entering into our next topic, 

 to glance at private trials in contrast with public form ; 

 the latter, the great test of a horse's merit with the majority 

 of the lovers of the turf. 



The staunch attendant at race-meetings will on all occa- 

 sions look for the winner in public form. He diligently 

 searches his " Ruff's Guide," or " Racing Calendar," and from 

 one or the other, it must be allowed, sometimes finds 

 what he looks for. But the owner or trainer believes 

 implicitly in private trials ; and these, if properly and ably 

 managed, are the safer guides. For in racing to obtain 

 knowledge, you run with too many ; whilst in trials, with 

 only a few : and added to this, which I think is an ad- 

 vantage, in the latter you have the undoubted benefit of 

 secrecy. Before running you can by trials, gauge collaterally 

 the merits of horses that have run, whilst no one else has 

 any knowledge of the merits of your own horses until 

 they have appeared in public. 



