JOCKEYS AND JOCKEYSHIP 113 



Here again — riding round turns, I mean — is a 

 thing where practice tells. If you are on a 

 long-striding horse, it may be wise to let him 

 swing out. He loses a little, but would be 

 tolerably certain to lose more if you pulled and 

 hauled at him to keep him close. You must 

 always steady a bit at a turn, indeed on some 

 courses the corners are so sharp that you have 

 almost to pull up ; and this eases a horse. That 

 is why some horses stay a mile well at certain 

 places, though the Rowley Mile would be too 

 far for them. It is a sort of instinct with a 

 jockey to try for the rails, but a good many 

 races are lost every year by this trying, all the 

 same. If a chance comes, take it ; only it is a 

 bad thing to be waiting for chances that may 

 not come. You m.ay be just behind, the leaders 

 getting beaten, your horse with much more in 

 him, and you are hoping that the jockey in 

 front of you on the rails (right-handed) will give 

 you just room to get through — if he only would 

 you are sure of beating him easily ; but, of 

 course, he isn't going to if he can help it. This 

 is one of the awkward places you sometimes get 

 into. The leader seems to be swerving the least 

 bit from the rails, and you sit and hope. There 

 is just sufficient space to squeeze through be- 



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