STARTERS AND STARTING 153 



as a matter of practice he often does not return to 

 the paddock, and then the Hst is given to one of 

 the jockeys to take down to him. From this he 

 reads out the places : " Morny Cannon i. Madden 

 2, Maher 3, Lane 4," and so on, and the jockeys 

 go to the positions indicated. If there be a very 

 vicious horse, a determined kicker that is known 

 to be likely to do damage if possible, the starter has 

 the discretion to put him at the end where he will 

 be least mischievous. Some liberty is allowed to 

 the starter, who finds a certain licence in the Rule 

 that he is to " give all orders necessary for securing 

 a fair start," and again that "the horses shall {so far 

 as is practicable) be drawn up before the start in an 

 order to be determined by lots to be drawn by the 

 jockeys at the time of weighing out." Then 

 the trouble begins ! With more or less care and 

 anxiety to help matters forward the jockeys range 

 up to the gate, though I should add that with 

 very few exceptions those now riding are a 

 particularly well-conducted lot, and it is a rare 

 thing to find any of them who are not more than 

 willing to do their best ; and here again the boys 

 find the benefit of the gate. Formerly some 

 trainers were very rough on their lads. They 

 were told to get off, knew that if they failed to do 

 so they would in all probability be made to suffer for 



