io6 THE RACING WORLD 



nice weight, and the idea seems to be that he 

 escapes wasting, which is one of the principal 

 bugbears. This is not at all correct. Some 

 owner is constantly wanting him to ride a few 

 pounds lighter than he can go to scale in the 

 ordinary way. A jockey, say, can do 7st. 81b. 

 when in good condition, and a horse belonging 

 to a stable for which he rides is in a handicap 

 late in the year at jst. 41b. The owner will 

 say to him, perhaps, " I think I have a great 

 chance. So-and-so has just got about what I 

 expected, but he is well in because he has come 

 on a good deal lately. There's nothing to spare, 

 though ; I ought not to give any weight away. 

 Do you think you can manage it ? " Well, perhaps 

 it is a big race. Of course you are anxious to 

 win, and you say you will try. You must re- 

 member that the jockey is in good hard condi- 

 tion to start with, and getting weight off then 

 is not the same thing as getting it off at the 

 beginning of the season when you have not been 

 taking care. 



Of course I have had some hard times in this 

 way. Last autumn, for instance, I was asked to 

 ride, for a stable I wanted to do everything I could 

 for, some pounds lighter than I could go to scale 

 comfortably. For more than a week in advance of 



