LORD REDESDALE'S BILL CONSIDERED. 



199 



subject, more to the incapacity of the boys put up to ride 

 than to the demerit of the horses. 



In a book entitled "Horse Racing," published in 1863, 

 I find it is said, 



" In i860 Lord Redesdale introduced the light-weight racing 

 bill into the House of Lords : by which it was proposed that 

 after January ist, 1861, no horses should start for any racing 

 prize, carrying less that 7 st. weight, under a penalty of 

 forfeiture of the horse so running and iJ".200." 



The bill, though it gave unqualified satisfaction to many, 

 was disliked by some ; the then Lord Derby amongst others 

 not approving it. He said, 



" If the minimum were placed at 7 st. the consequence 

 would be in all handicaps the superior old horses would have 

 to carry 11 and 12 st. There was a reason, however," said 

 his lordship, " why it was rather desirable that the weights 

 should be slightly raised ; viz., the great difficulty of procuring 

 jockeys to ride old horses in the present competition with the 

 light-weight system." 



This does not seem to me to be a slender reason ; for if we 

 raise the standard, we get what his lordship desired — men in 

 the saddle in place of boys. It cannot be said, after what 

 has been shown, that a weight of eleven or twelve stone is 

 likely to hurt the horses. Mr. Osbaldestone's match must 

 have escaped Lord Derby's memory when he implied that 

 horses could not carry this weight ; although it must be 

 allowed that the opinion on his part can only be inferred — he 

 did not actually say so. He goes on to say that it was the 

 intention of the Jockey Club to raise the weights for the 

 Derby, and some other races, from 8st. 7 lbs. to 8 st 10 lbs., 

 thus leaving untouched the whole gist of the matter, which 

 is the raising of the lowest standard from 5 st. 7 lbs. to 7 st. 



