200 WEIGHTS AND DISTANCES. 



The late Mr. John Scott, the celebrated trainer of White 

 wall, Malton (his lordship's trainer), strongly advocated that 

 the weights should be raised ; and no one was likely to know 

 better than a person with his vast experience, or to give a 

 more candid opinion. If the recognised standard for two- 

 year-olds is 8 St. 10 lbs., and if early in the spring they can 

 and do carry this weight (which in handicaps is sometimes 

 increased to 9st. 12 lbs.), why cannot all of them carry it in 

 the following year } A 7 st. minimum would put the good 

 three-year-olds over two miles and a quarter in the autumn 

 at 9 St. 10 lbs., and the old horses at list. — a difference of 

 2 St. 10 lb., between the best and worst of the three-year-olds, 

 and of four stone between the highest and lowest of all ages 

 — a difference much the same as that now existing. I think 

 that few will disagree with me in the conclusion that a horse 

 that cannot win with such weights, is not good enough to keep 

 in training. Indeed, it has become an absolute necessity, and 

 notoriously so, that in fairness to owners, and in the best 

 interests of the turf, the scale of weights should be raised and 

 the courses lengthened. 



This fact is not only an almost universal topic, it is 

 markedly noticed by the sporting writers of the day. In the 

 " Morning Post " of April 10, 1876, "Pavo" in an excellent 

 article discussing the subject, says: — 



" The success of welter-handicaps of late years shows the 

 popularity of those races ; whilst the difficulty of finding 

 competent boys to ride the present range of light-handicap 

 weights is becoming more apparent every year." 



The chance of winning any race over a short course with a 

 child up, is so remote, that the best horse may not win one of 

 ten or even twenty races he may run for ; though by com- 

 petent judges each of them may have been looked upon as 



