THE DIFFERENT RACE-COURSES. 173 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE RACE AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. 



The different race-courses ; effect of their shape and slope. Mr. Copperthwaite on 

 the Derby Course ; incorrectness of his deductions — Fitness of the horse the 

 sole essential — Examples from the Epsom and Ascot courses, and inferences — 

 Running in wet and dry weather ; effect of deep ground ; instances : yoe 

 Miller, Speed the Plough, and Oxonian — Racehorses across country : Emblem 

 and Emblematic ; Joco a failure — Ownership — Erroneous popular view of the 

 duty of owners to the public ; Admiral Rous's evidence on scratching, &c. 

 before the House of Commons ; fallacy of the view exposed — Conflicting 

 public judgment of horses and its fallibility ; instances : The Hero falls lame 

 and wins after, Bird on the Wing's illness, Hermit'' s reported accident — The 

 real reason why horses are not seen oftener at the post; "forestalling" — 

 Owners and their friends ; value of secrecy ; how secrets are revealed and 

 fatal results ; exposure of letters — Eminent racing tacticians and their errors : 

 Admiral Rous and IVeathergage ; Mr. C. C. Greville's career ; anecdote of 

 the latter ; ultra self-confidence the reason of only partial success — Regis- 

 tered names and their publicity ; current evils of the custom and suggested 

 remedy — The anonymous letter- writer ; instance of his malpractices at 

 Whitewall. 



Although it is not my intention to describe the race itself, 

 an event which has been graphically delineated by many pens, 

 there are some points worthy to be noted by owners and trainers, 

 even when the horse on which all hopes are centred is fit to 

 run, and the services of a good jockey have been retained. 



A thing of great importance, but one which is often over- 

 looked or too lightly considered, is the state of the ground. 



