228 THE RACING WORLD 



there is every reason to believe, is in general 

 granted ; but from time to time a notice has 

 appeared in the Racing Calendar to the effect that 

 Clerks of Courses should not always employ the 

 same handicappers at the same meeting, but should 

 make changes in the names they submit. The 

 reason of this is difficult of comprehension, for the 

 person of all others who is most likely to make a 

 successful handicap is the one who has a thorough 

 knowledge of the course, of the previous per- 

 formances of many or most of the horses likely to 

 take part in the races, of the jockeys' colours, 

 character of the owners, trainers, and riders with 

 whom the sport is associated. The greater his 

 knowledge the less his difficulties ; the more 

 restricted his experience the greater the possibility 

 of error — for humanum est errare — and how true 

 are the words which invariably form the preface to 

 my handicap book : " The man who never made a 

 mistake never made anything ! " 



If the handicapper be changed, and, coming 

 from a distance, be unacquainted with the form of 

 the horses entered, he is certain to take his cue 

 from information obtained from his predecessor 

 (who would do the work in half the time), either 

 personally or from a careful consideration of his 

 weights in other races. And no one can better 



