i82 THE RACE AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. 



says, and with possibly greater propriety : " If he had been 

 left in, he would have run and won, as his lameness was not of 

 a serious nature; and why was he struck out and not left in on 

 the chance of his recovery ? " Thus you may strike out early 

 with the most honest intention, or leave in to the last moment 

 actuated by the same laudable principles, and circumstances 

 over which you may have no control, render either or both 

 right or wrong, and you are blamed for breaking faith with 

 the public in either event. 



If I take a case or two in point it will most clearly illustrate 

 the fallibility of public opinion, and the unreasonableness of 

 expecting horses to run when the pubhc think they should, in 

 ignorance whether they are lame or otherwise unfit to do so. 

 The first case I shall allude to will show the impropriety of 

 deciding too hastily, and how desirable it sometimes is to 

 hope against hope, and not strike out until the last minute. 



The Hero, after being backed for the Goodwood Cup down 

 to a very short price, one day after galloping pulled up lame. 

 Off went the touts, running or riding to the telegraph office, 

 and wired to their employers the startling information, 

 probably in their own emphatic and terse language : " He's a 

 dead 'un, get every guinea." The horse did not make his 

 appearance, either from necessity or stratagem, for a day or 

 two; and then was, as they say, "restricted to walking exer- 

 cise," and was looked on as virtually out of the race. After 

 being driven to long odds he was reinstated in the market, 

 " of course only for hedging purposes," argued they. Great 

 dissatisfaction was expressed on all sides. It was affirmed 

 that all chances of his winning were hopeless from the very 

 time of his accident, and that he should then have been struck 

 out in an honourable and straightforward manner. But the 

 owner thought otherwise and left him in, and he won. 



