44 THE RACING WORLD 



a good stable boy, and at the present time some 

 trainers of the highest skill — I think I may men- 

 tion my friend John Porter among them — do 

 not think there is very much between the fair 

 average rider and the " cracks." I am inclined 

 to rate jockeyship rather more highly than some 

 of my brethren ; but even if there be only 31b., 

 that 31b. often makes a vast difference in a result, 

 and when jockeys and lads ride together these 

 few pounds lead to confusion. A gallop with 

 stable boys up will tell you a good deal if only 

 they get off well together — your head lad will 

 see to this — and come along at a good pace ; and 

 you will be able, as you watch them approach 

 you to finish, to tell what little allowances you 

 should make in certain cases — at least, whether 

 you do this accurately or not will lead to the 

 estimate being right or wrong. But it is best, 

 of course, if possible, to try with good jockeys 

 up — the difficulty is to get them together if you 

 do not train at Newmarket — for one reason, 

 amongst others, because their experience will 

 enable them to tell you what the horses have 

 been doing in the gallop. 



The custom of trying by the watch has lately 

 come somewhat into vogue in England, and as 

 the American trainers who chiefly use it have had 



