OWNERS AND OWNING 8i 



penses, plating, clothing, travelling, about ^^500 

 a year. It is very easy indeed to spend consid- 

 erably more, and not very easy, unless one stints 

 entries, and is careful in striking out when 

 minor forfeits become due, to spend very much 

 less ; and these questions of entries and forfeits 

 are always perplexing. I have often left horses 

 in engagements in the hope that, for some reason 

 or other, those that were sure to beat mine would 

 go out — to find that they did nothing of the sort ; 

 and in misdirected fits of economy I have struck 

 horses out of races which they could not have 

 lost if I had been less hasty. But this is the 

 inevitable experience of every owner. By degrees 

 I naturally learnt something of placing, and always 

 entered my own horses ; frequently, however, 

 perhaps I should say generally, talking over with 

 my trainer what was best to do, letting him see 

 what I proposed, and inviting suggestions. And 

 the same with trials. I like to fix my own weights, 

 and hear what he has to say about them. 



I have had good years and bad years, disappoint- 

 ments — though none so keen, I think, as my early 

 Treasure — and successes, expected and unexpected. 

 In my first year I won six races, the best of them 

 being the "jockeys' race," if so it was, which 

 credited me with >C945. The three-year-olds took 



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