SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



recruits discernible, they will realise the seriousness 

 of the situation, and, by being less exigent, tempt 

 their trainers to return to the old and the same 

 path. It was indeed pleasant to see W. E. Elsey, 

 when Weldon left him, turn to his own, in Yarnell 

 and Foster, both of whom, when afforded the chance, 

 did well for the shrewd Baumber trainer. 



That some of the present surroundings of the Turf 

 are inimical to the continuance of a young lad in the 

 prime of condition and in the possession of good 

 habits must be allowed, whatever sadness there is in 

 the admission. Many a one of fair promise has gone 

 to the wall almost ere he has fulfilled his indentures. 

 To the lack of restraint may be traced the cause ; 

 and without being an anti-tobaccoist it has grieved 

 me to see boys, depending for their future on their 

 nerves, sucking at cigars nearly their own size. 

 That way inevitably lies ruin. A boy, no matter 

 what the measure of his horsemanship, is after all no 

 more in mind than his age indicates. The greater 

 his success the greater the surrounding dangers from 

 designing men and, alas ! nowadays women, and 

 unless he be carefully guarded the things that 

 should be his making may cause his undoing. One 

 of the most regrettable features of the time is the 

 "hero worship" of jockeys. At a period they had 

 little worship and often little money. E. Hunt — 



267 



