154 TRIALS. 



and show a few cases in which the best horses have been 

 beaten in their races after winning their trials. 



At many places we have seen horses running with a great 

 reputation derived from home trials, easily beaten in public ; 

 yet afterwards reversing the result in the most decisive 

 manner : proving beyond all doubt that the race, and not 

 the trial was wrong — though no one detected or could 

 account for the error. 



Cossack was beaten for the July Stakes ; and this was 

 undoubtedly a mistake, for he won the Derby afterwards. 

 Hermit was likewise beaten at Newmarket as a two-year-old, 

 and the following year he also won the Derby. In neither 

 of these cases could any one see where the error existed ; 

 the public believed the two-year-old races were right, whilst 

 the owners believed in the trials and knew the races were 

 a farce. It was abundantly proved, by their subsequent 

 running, that their trials were right and their races, when 

 beaten, were all wrong. So far therefore I think trials may 

 more safely be trusted than races. 



Public form is often so contradictory that little reliance can 

 be placed on it ; for have we not seen horses win one day 

 and be beaten the next in the same company, without the 

 semblance of cause for the transposition of places "i I may 

 add that hundreds of instances might be found, if only the 

 finding would repay the trouble of the search. But a few 

 will be given to emphasize the untrustworthy character 

 of public running. 



I have seen the same horses win easily one day that have 

 been beaten a long distance the next in the same company, at 

 the same respective weights, over the same course and with 

 the s;ime jockeys up. Who is to account for these extra- 

 ordinary performances } Such races, like others before 



