HANDICAPPERS 225 



one of trouble, almost approaching despair, I will 

 take an instance which occurs to me : Two horses 

 which had previously fought out a very close finish 

 together at even weights (separated, if I remember, 

 by merely a head or a neck) were entered in a 

 handicap ; there was no difficulty about their 

 weights, and it was very plain sailing with all the 

 other entries barring one ; unfortunately this horse 

 had previously met both the animals referred to, 

 and whereas he had proved a few pounds better 

 than one, his form with the other made him a 

 good stone behind it. Matters were further 

 complicated by his having run with other horses in 

 the race, so that what would have been the 

 simplest of tasks was converted into a confusing 

 headachy puzzle by the presence of this one horse, 

 who could be made out to be just 21 pounds 

 better than himself ! 



A lengthy entry of say sixty, at a meeting more 

 or less out of the handicapper's personal range, and 

 the presence of half-a-dozen horses with two or 

 more separate and distinct forms in an early 

 nursery, taxes the mental powers of the official to 

 the very utmost, and it is astonishing how quickly 

 time speeds on whilst he is busily and laboriously 

 engaged in, it may be, vainly endeavouring to 

 discover the true solution ; a sitting of four or 



Q 



