JOCKEYS AND JOCKEYSHIP 119 



business, to this extent at any rate that the jockey 

 is not, of course, in any way responsible for 

 mistakes. He is told what his horse has to carry, 

 and is weighed accordingly ; but it chances that on 

 one or two occasions I have found a penalty 

 omitted or a claim for allowance wrongly made, 

 and have avoided probable disqualification by 

 mentioning the matter. Very few jockeys do this, 

 however, and it is only now and then that I look 

 into it. As to objections, the jockey usually 

 advises the owner or his representative to object if 

 there seems any good ground, and the jockey 

 generally makes the objection himself. 



About trials, I would rather have all jockeys or 

 all boys, for naturally the jockey is likely to have a 

 bit the best of lads that have had little practice, 

 even at home, in riding races ; but a clever trainer 

 sees a lot and knows how to make allowances for 

 what he sees. In the stable where I served my 

 apprenticeship the trainer used to allow 71b. if a 

 jockey rode in a trial with boys on the other 

 horses. If I won a length and a half or so, and a 

 boy was on the second, he set it down that the two 

 horses were much about the same. If the boy 

 beat me a length he would consider that the 

 winner had something like lolb. instead of only 

 about 31b. or 41b. in hand, the idea in this case 



